[UPDATE #2: Some ninety minutes after posting the below, all the contact information on the website for Providence Road Baptist Church was removed. But don't let that stop you from emailing Pastor Charles "Let 'em fry or die" Worley at pastor@prbcnc.com. ]

Meet Pastor Charles Worley of Providence Road Baptist Church (“The Home of old time Religion”), located at 3283 Providence Mill Rd, Maiden, NC 28650. In this video excerpt from one of his recent Sunday morning sermons, Pastor Worley offers his thoughtful suggestion for resolving the debate over gay rights.

The good pastor’s idea for “gettin’ rid of all the lesbians and queers” is to build “a great big large fence” around all the gay people, electrify it, and then allow the people penned in by the fence to die.

Pffft. And people thought the gay issue would be difficult to solve.

Of course, Pastor Worley, being a man of the cloth, is hardly inured from compassion. He makes this very clear with his suggestion that we “fly over and drop some food” to the masses of imprisoned gay people. So it’s not like he wants them to just starve to death. That would be cruel. This is, after all, a Christian leader bound by the love of Jesus, not a morally repugnant, astoundingly ignorant, semi-literate, hate-filled meathead who wouldn’t know Jesus Christ from Cujo.

Pastor Worley just wants all gay people to live behind an electric fence until they grow old and die. And who doesn’t want to be fed for free until they die of old age? It’s like social security—but with electricity. And less travel. And food falling on your head.

Pastor Worley also wants to separate all the gay men from all the gay women: he wants to keep two separate electrified pens. Because (one assumes) otherwise some of the gay men might sleep with some of the gay women. And we all know what that would mean: gay babies. And then where would it all end? We only have so much money to spend on fences, airplane fuel and food that bounces. So, in this one instance, separate but equal would have to work.

If you have any thoughts or suggestions about his extremely novel social experiment, please do not hesitate to share them with Pastor Worley, at pastor@prbcnc.com. I’m sure he’d be glad to hear from each and every one of you.

After all, if you can’t count on Christian pastors to be open to new thoughts and ideas, what good are they?

He claims they’ll stop breeding, does he forget that most homosexuals are created by heterosexual parents?

http://www.facebook.com/nwbuckeye Pat Hux via Facebook

Ignorance and vitriol without bounds is loose in the churches…. will they be goose-stepping next?

Amy Michael Finnerty via Facebook

My brain hurts from the dumb.

Valerie

crying

Erika Beseda-Allen via Facebook

this makes me so sad.

http://www.facebook.com/nea.bryant.5 Nea Bryant via Facebook

how will we know? i mean, they look like everybody else. do we have to follow people around until they have gay sex or not?

Barbara Rice

At some point, I have to turn away. I guess it’s like working in a snake pit – you have to get used to it, or you’ll have a breakdown. But I can’t handle this.

Jana Harrison Currier via Facebook

Arrrgghh! I’m from NC and I promise we are not all ignorant! There are many of us who actually care about our fellow human beings!

Ron Hari via Facebook

GOSH HE LOOKS LIKE THAN SAME GUY WE SAW STALKING THE WOODS AT THE CANAL PATHS IN EASTON, PA and inert the boat slip in ptown, Ma. Last night after all the bars were closed …no sure though, he was on his knees. And the other guy praying, “OH MY GAWD, O MY GAWD!

Barbara: I know exactly what you mean. I actually didn’t want to deal with this buffoon at all. But when I expressed that very thing to the young woman who sent me the video, she said, “I don’t really look at it as bringing attention to him….more to just make friends aware of who is in their community. It also helps show some of the people on my fb why lgbt people have such a hard time trusting the church. Some people from my fundie days have a hard time grasping the concept.” So I thought, Yeah, okay.

http://www.facebook.com/tom.millner.75 Tom Millner via Facebook

Sent him a message letting him know we are praying for his encounter with grace!

Jan Darlene Hastings via Facebook

This is sad because the man is clearly uneducated and unwell. Let’s not make fun of the disabled, please.

Danielle Buie via Facebook

Better pen up all the straight people who keep having gay babies, too. Can’t be too safe about these things. (…sigh…)

Kathleen O’Donoghue via Facebook

Here’s what I just wrote to him in an e-mail on their website:

Kathleen O’Donoghue via Facebook

Forgot to attach it! Pastor Worley,

If you insist on spewing your hate filled drivel to your congregation and the world via You Tube, I would most respectfully request that you stop saying you are speaking in the name of Jesus. Clearly you must actually know that Jesus would never have said such hateful things about ANY of God’s creation. You do not speak for Jesus, you are making the work of thoughtful Christians much harder when we have to explain how you aren’t really a believer if you can speak like this and perhaps more importantly, God will not be mocked, and you sir, are doing just that. I would wish the same punishment to you as you have suggested gay and lesbian Christian should suffer, but that would be judging you and I’m not supposed to do that. See how that works?

Tom Backus via Facebook

You know, this Pastor may have a good idea. Round up all the Lesbians and put them in one electric fence area. Put all the queers and homosexuals in another electric fence area, and keep dropping food until they all die off. Just be sure we have a Bed, Bath, and Beyond and a Home Depot, and I tell you, everyone will be gay just so they can move in. The houses will be FABULOUS!

PS: End Sarcasm.

Barbara Rice

*nods*

This ties in with your previous entry about the ex-fundamentalist and is an ideal illustration of what she was talking about.

Jana Harrison Currier via Facebook

So, y’all can see that we need all the help we can get here in NC. John could write this POS a letter, but I’m not sure if he is literate. I’m thinking a letter with LOTS of pictures!

David

The best thing we as Christians can do, in my opinion, is let as many people as possible know there are also Christians out there who find this kind of religious rhetoric vile and hateful. That these words were spoken by a Pastor – a spiritual leader – is abhorrent. I will pray for Jesus to enlighten Pastor Worley about what it means to be a Christian. Either Pastor Worley has forgotten this, or he never knew it to begin with.

Andie Redwine via Facebook

Wow. Just…wow.

http://comingintothesoul.wordpress.com/ HJ

Whoohoo, all gay women all the time. Would make dating easier at least.

Tracy Smith via Facebook

He was born in the wrong time and wrong country. He’d have fit in well working in a concentration camp during WWII, where the Nazis sent many gay people just for being gay. Totally disgusting and reprehensible.

Rici Larsen-Young via Facebook

That is just sickening. I can’t believe this vile, ignorant scum presumes to speak for God.

Lorelei Hillman via Facebook

Kathleen O’Donoghue, please add 1John 4:20 – “Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers and sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.”

http://www.facebook.com/ricbooth56 ERic Booth via Facebook

Ignorance is bliss…er, hate?

Salina Ciotti via Facebook

This is sick.

InDiscernment

It’s terrible to have someone like that “represent” Christianity. On the other hand, he can’t pronounce “against” or “young ones” – and I’ll leave out the grammatically incorrect structure of almost every sentence he utters. So … as heart-wrenching as it may be to hear that kind of ignorant hatred spewed from the pulpit, it is also very difficult to take him seriously. What scares me is that people do take him (and others like him) seriously. So maybe I should try to love my enemy and pray for his ignorant little soul.

Jeff Brady

Wow… “Can you imagine kissing a man?” is the part he isn’t sure if he should say from the PULL-pit? Well I’m agin the fact that he thinks this is the worst part of his message. Someone oughta preach the hell out o’ ‘im, and kick it and beat it and electrify it out of him, too! But I’ll airdrop some food for him, when I’m done, though…

Disgusting.

Dear God, please let the world know that not all of us who (actually) bear your name are so hateful. And please let ol’ Chuck know that love comes first. And then please either let him repent or be silent. Amen.

Chera Spicer Taylor via Facebook

Thanks for posting. He makes the work of true followers of Jesus so much harder.

http://soultwist.wordpress.com Mike

Christians should gather together and protest this goons church on Sunday. I’m so embarrassed to have this crap coming from my home state.

DR

This needs to go viral. Does Joe My God and/or Dan Savage have this footage?

Pam Oldenburger Larson via Facebook

Wow! Jesus is a “homosexual lover” and I would vote for him!

http://small-letters.com Mindy M.

Are you kidding me? That is the subject of the email I just sent. Here’s the email:

Dear Pastor Worley,

Most days I no longer even try to engage with fundamentalist Christians who believe I’m going to hell because the person I fell in love and am building a life with happened to be another woman.

But when I heard about your recent sermon, where you suggest that those humans who experience same-gender love should be penned in behind an electrified fence and left to die… I had to drop you a note.

Is it true? You want to eradicate this “sin” in the human race by eradicating human beings?

First off, your logic is faulty. Same-gender love is not shown to be genetic.

But secondly, and more important I think: THIS is what you think your God wants? THIS is the kind of relationship you think your God wants with His people?

I am so incredibly grateful that I am not a part of your community. I grieve for those who are. I loathe what you bring into the world.

Mindy Brown Carney via Facebook

Unflippin’ believable. My daughter’s dear friend, who happens to be gay, has been over here most of the day; she just got back from college, and they spent the day baking bread. She is such a wonderful girl, as is her girlfriend. It makes my heart hurt to think there are people out there talking about her like this. And then it makes me so pissed I could scream.

Wendy

This hurts my heart so much, that someone who wears the name of Christ can be so evil and hateful. I know I shouldn’t be surprised, since we’re continually seeing crap like this on an almost daily basis, and I’ve experienced the same hateful attitude in my old church. But honestly, enough is enough. These vile people are making MY Jesus look bad, and by extension, all Christians.

Eddy Walker

Round up all the gay men and women and put them in a segregated location? In six months, it would be the most fabulous place in America…

http://culturesniper.wordpress.com culturesniper

I just send this dude an email. It read:

I just watched your video, the one where you propose building a kind of Auschwitz for homosexuals (did you know Hitler actually included homosexuals in his genocide? You’re in good company, my man).

1. There is an S in “against”

2. Having compassion for the dignity of all human beings including homosexuals does not make a person homosexual themselves.

3. There is no evidence whatsoever to suggest that gay people are more likely to produce gay children than straight people.

4. You didn’t mention Jesus’ position on homosexuality once in this speech. Why was that? Oh yeah. HE DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT (neither did he say anything about abortion, for that matter).

5. I suggest you re-read the Gospel of John, then tender your resignation with an apology for your gross misunderstanding of the Gospels, with a confession of having repeatedly committed the sin of taking the Lord’s name in vain.

My friends and I got to thinking. Why stop here? Shouldn’t we be looking at the whole list, and building lots of fences? Drunkards, Greedy, Fornicators, Adulterers? By the time we are done, all our country could be in little fenced off communes.

People really need to start thinking before they open their mouths. These types of comments hurt people. I wonder how many good people were lost today because of this? Who was this the last straw for? Who heard this and could take more, and ended their life?

http://www.facebook.com/jason.p.engel Jason Engel via Facebook

I don’t often do this, but this time I actually did send off a letter to this “pastor”: “1 John 4:20-21 (KJV) If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

I am calling you out as an evil man, Charles Worley. I pray you repent from your wickedness. I pray you find true grace and love for all Christians, straight or gay, through an honest relationship with the Lord our God, and his Son our Savior, Christ Jesus. May the Holy Spirit open your eyes and your heart.

God bless you. You need it.

Jason Engel”

Diana A.

What an evil excuse for a human being.

Diana A.

People take him and others like him seriously because he’s saying what they want to hear. Speaking of people getting their ears tickled….

Caring Heart via Facebook

John, we need to DO something! When I first watched this I was so upset I felt shaky. It is sickening that he is saying these things and even worse that there is a congregation agreeing with him. Is it insane to dream that if a bunch of us actually wrote him heartfelt letters (snail mail) that we could make him see how wrong he is? And also how about a group of sane and loving pastors/ministers approach him for an intervention of sorts? We can’t just all vent on fb about this – we have to DO something! The challenge is no matter how mad and sick this makes us feel, we have to find a way to act with love.

Patricia Boese

I write letters often, but usually to people who surprise me by standing up for LGBT rights when I don’t expect them to., Republicans who might stand to lose their seats, that type of thing. I always will thank them and tell them how much it makes a difference, how proud I am of them, how I look every day for someone like them to take a stand. This time I had to say something. Here is my letter.

Dear Pastor Worley,

I read about your sermon regarding what you thought was the proper way to treat gay and lesbian people in the Huffington Post and then on John Shore’s Christian blog. I, along with probably millions of other Christians was no doubt shocked to hear that a pastor would be preaching such hate filled language to his congregation. I thought the days of Auchwitz were over but no, apparently they are not. Instead they are alive and well here in our own United States. They are alive here in North Carolina.

No doubt you think you are right, just as Hitler thought he was right. No doubt you are wrong, just as history proved him wrong and without a doubt he was no Christian. You can draw your own conclusions from this argument.

You do know that every piece of science says that the stronger the vitriol against homosexuality there is, the more the accuser is shown to actually be attracted to the same sex as shown by physical evidence to homosexual pornography and the more he/she cannot cope with these conflicting feelings?

I am afraid you look very, very foolish with this reaction and stand to look not only very un-Christian but suspiciously closeted and attracted to men yourself. Any man okay with his sexuality would not have this hateful reaction.

It may behoove you to step back and behave more like Jesus would do, compose your conflicted feelings and leave these people alone. All eyes are on you right now and as I said, most of the rest of United States is at first glance disgusted by your similarity to Hitler and then next, your suspicious, closeted like, self hating behavior.

I am NOT kidding.

Step away from the pulpit and rethink this position while you still have a congregation. This is appalling.

Sincerely,

Patricia Boese.

Miriam Byroade via Facebook

I’d rather be behind that fence than anywhere near that guy

Brian W

What a sorry excuse for a Baptist….

Matt Muecke via Facebook

Nice.

http://www.facebook.com/Purr.Neigh Beth Glover via Facebook

Jana Harrison Currier you have a whole lot of work ahead of you. ( we do too) This is in your state, and yes, people are getting a bad idea about the state. Keep standing up for what is right. This made me so angry. I never planned to be such a gay ally. People probably think I am gay. No, I am straight. I have a lot of people, that are gay, that I love. The number seems to be growing too. I’ve been getting hugged a lot lately. @ Jason Engel, I am going to follow your example.

Tom Liston via Facebook

My God, when you begin to fathom the depths of ignorance in this county, you are tempted to despair that reason will ever prevail. These folks seem to be living proof of their own conviction that evolution is a hoax, and they’ve just about got me convinced!

Rob B

Here’s the short email I sent:

Dear Pastor Worley,

I saw the video of your sermon online. As a fellow Christian I was deeply disappointment in your hurtful and destructive words. I do not believe Jesus would ever adopt such an attitude toward any people group. My hope and prayer is that this was not a typical sermon at your church, that somehow your church strives to be a safe place for all who want to pursue a relationship with God whether they are gay, straight, black, white, male, female.

Your brother in Christ,

Rob

That’s the most love I could muster. The rest of me wants to flip my lid!!

http://kellythinkstoomuch.wordpress.com KellyK

What I posted on their FB wall was:

I was shocked and horrified by Pastor Worley’s sermon. This is the sort of hate and evil that destroys people’s lives. It pushes gay kids to commit suicide. So here’s what I want to say to any gay or lesbian teenagers in this congregation (and any LGBT adults too): God loves you *exactly* as he made you. I’m praying for you. Not that you will change, but that God will protect you from hateful bullies like this pastor and that you will know that you are loved, and worthy, and treasured by God.

Just went to the church webpage. There is no contact information listed. It appears they pulled phone numbers and email addresses off the webpage. I’d say that is a good sign. So glad John was able to get his email address.

My message:

Dear Chuck:

Maybe this was the best thing you ever did for yourself. I believe that you have more people praying for you now than you ever did before you became “famous” for preaching this atrocious (“horrifyingly wicked”), hateful, bigoted (“intolerant”) message. Maybe a miracle will happen in your heart via those prayers.

So, if at some point you wake up and feel your heart has softened toward those whom you hate, consider that it might be because you have been prayed for, perhaps by some of those you have condemned (“express complete disapproval of, typically in public”) and many others like myself who would never consider putting anyone, even you, in an electrical fence.

You are the definition of homophobic (“intense hatred or fear of homosexuals or homosexuality”). I also believe self-hatred to be at the core of homophobia. You do know what this means, don’t you? Just in case you aren’t up to speed, it means, sir, that there is a possibility that you have repressed (“kept suppressed and unconscious in one’s mind”) homosexual desires. Gasp!!

Good luck Chuck,

Kathy

PS If there are any other words you need me to define for you I will be happy to.

Lymis

Seems to me that it would be a great deal cheaper to just make a small enclosure for him and just tell him that it’s a fence keeping everyone else in. Maybe with a lot of mirrors, because he sure seems to be pleased with himself.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/johnshore/ John Shore

most excellent variation!

Eirin Hamilton via Facebook

so disturbing to me that no one would speak out in that congregation. would that I would have the courage in a similar situation! this is barbaric and DANGEROUS teaching

Cathy Elings-Sysel via Facebook

What?????

Kelli Joyce via Facebook

As a queer NC Baptist, this stuff just makes me sad. The majority of folks here don’t feel like this man does, but they also don’t see that this is where legislating moral disapproval of personal decisions so often leads. I have faith that the future will remedy this. I can only hope that the damage done to LGBTQ persons between now and then will be as little as possible.

Barb

I found their FB page and posted the following:

I’m interested in what qualifications Mr. Worley has to call himself a pastor. In no way was his sermon pastoral. It did not communicate the grace we come to by faith in Jesus Christ. Nor did it communicate the love of God or the fellowship we enjoy in the Spirit. It did not challenge us to love our God and neighbor. It did not encourage us to do justice, love mercy, and to walk humbly with God. In fact, all it communicated was a bigoted, ignorant, ill-spoken rant against a segment of the population who are fine just the way God made them. My prayers are with your congregation, that they may see your rant for what it was and rise above your bigotry and hate.

http://www.facebook.com/jane.caldwell.12 Jane Caldwell via Facebook

Pitiful

Josie

John, so glad you got this idiot’s email.

Here’s what I sent him–just one small voice, inarticulate in the face of such venomous hatred…

Dear Pastor Worley,

As a Christian, I am trying very hard to forgive the hateful way you pretend to speak for the King of Love. If you say you love God, but hate your brother or sister, you are a liar. How can you claim to love God, whom you have not seen, and hate your brothers and sisters, whom you have seen?

As Christians, we are taught to love our enemies, and pray for those who harm us. Even if you subscribe to the utterly mistaken beilief that LGBTQ people are your enemies, how dare you spew such hatred? You, sir, are the true enemy. The enemy of love, the enemy of human decency, the enemy of pretty much everything Jesus lived and died for. Did you learn NOTHING from the amazing love God showed you in the life and death of Jesus Christ? Your words are poison–they drive gay kids to kill themselves, they drive people away from Christ in droves, and I truly believe they drive God himself to smack his forehead in utter frustration.

I will attempt to pray for you–and I will pray that I actually have the strength of character to do so. I will pray that your hatred be revealed to you for what it is–the polar opposite of “what would Jesus do.”

http://www.facebook.com/jane.caldwell.12 Jane Caldwell via Facebook

Since he’s tellin’ his congregants who they should ‘not’ vote for- shouldn’t his church be taxed?

Meggin King via Facebook

email sent. somehow I doubt I will receive a reply.

Brian Orrock McHugh via Facebook

Well: if I, as a Christian priest, were as un-Christian as this pastor, I might suggest that all such violent pastors be put behind electric fences!

Sonnie

Hmmm, shouldn’t he lose his tax exemption? He’s engaging in political activity from the pulpit, thought that was ‘agin’ the law.

http://kingmaalbert@hotmail.com Al

You were too kind to this sorry excuse for a “Christian”. I wrote him too, and suggested that he consider a change to a more appropriate denomination – like the Church of Satan.

http://www.facebook.com/nwbuckeye Pat Hux via Facebook

these bigots just never learn until they get caught with their trash talk all over the internet…. ppl have downloaded it by now…

Robert Martin via Facebook

They do have a FB page which still seems to be open (for now). Not sure whether they are editing comments though.

Andrew Raymond

I’ll send him a little love note tonight. But in the mean time, John, I love the ‘wouldn’t know Jesus Christ from Cujo’ line. That’s priceless.

Brian Orrock McHugh via Facebook

I’m assuming this guy has never heard of the Golden Rule??

Josie

I’m torn between that one and the “We only have so much money to spend on fences, airplane fuel and food that bounces.”

Jenn

Beautiful.

Dave Bowling

God have mercy on him and those who heard this ‘sermon’. I am shaking my head in disbelief that he said these things … and that there were amens (I assume in agreement) in the background.

chera

“I wonder if it physically hurts to be that dumb.”

My new favorite quote.

http://www.facebook.com/douglas.sewell Doug Sewell via Facebook

Kathy Verbiest Baldock had a link that had the address – Pastor Charles L. Worley of Providence Road Baptist Church — located at 3283 Providence Mill Rd, Maiden, NC 28650

http://www.facebook.com/loyd.n.dunaway Nolen Dunaway via Facebook

Humm, have to wonder about him and his congregation. NAH–bigots.

http://www.facebook.com/nwbuckeye Pat Hux via Facebook

I wonder how many ppl were actually sitting there…. most of those churches are losing members in droves..

http://www.facebook.com/hosey.jan Jan Hosey via Facebook

This is a very scary, dangerous man!

Jana Harrison Currier via Facebook

Beth Glover, same here. I am a straight ally, a stay-at-home mom – I am way more involved than I thought I ever would be. I just can’t sit and watch people who I care about being treated like they are subhuman.

David Ross Lyon

What should we do ? Attend his “church”….en-masse…on a Sunday Morning….Let him know that God will not allow him to continue the hateful vitriol he is now spewing…!

http://www.facebook.com/susan.jones.330467 Susan Jones via Facebook

Let’s put all these insane ‘preachers’ in gas chambers and make the country a better place to live.

David Ross Lyon

Amen…!

http://www.facebook.com/jason.p.engel Jason Engel via Facebook

Susan, how about we not. You can’t fight bigotry by being a bigger bigot.

MAB

I, too, am appalled and sickened by what this man said from the pulpit.

At the same time, I cringe whenever I see something like this go viral and everyone starts publishing email addresses and web sites so everyone can go and vent. Do we really think that is Christian and constructive? As tempted as I am to write to this man, myself, I also know it is never a good idea to write when I am angry.

Judge not lest ye be judged. It applies to us, too. God loves this man, too. Even when he spouts garbage. What we need is a CONSTRUCTIVE dialogue about this in the Christian community. If we pummel this man with vitriol, even if our point behind it is true, all we have done is cause more damage. There are Christians who are quietly standing by, trying to find their way in this tornado. If we attack this man with hate and our “clever wit,” we push those people farther away. This man can feel vindicated, feel that he is a martyr, because we have heaped coals upon his head.

Please. Be careful with what you say. Seek wisdom and not anger. Yes, we need to stand up. But we need to do so with dignity and with the love of Christ.

David Ross Lyon

Kathy…Many thanks for the definition of ” self hatred “…..at the core of all vitriol of homophobic nature , is the fact to that person has repressed ( as you correctly stated ….) homosexual desires , and really can’t stand the confliction in their own souls…I pray he reads it…!

Iyam Leq via Facebook

post his info on craigslist under B&D slave for rent. CHEAP.

Shannon Lynn Hames via Facebook

He has, apparently, chosen to ignore Prov. 23:2 where it says to put a knife to your throat if you’re given to gluttony. Otherwise, his fat ass would be dead.

BR

My message to the “Pastor”:

“Please help me understand how the LOVE that I have in my heart for my life partner is worse than the HATRED you have in your heart for me?”

Mary Ellen Mayo via Facebook

Independent Fundamental Baptists tend to be meaner than a burlap sack full of foaming at the mouth rabid rattlesnakes….

David Ross Lyon

Remember all….God loves Pastor Worley as much as He loves me , or you , or us . There can be no difference…Gods Love and Saving Grace extends even to Worley….

As a Gay Christian , in my 70′s , I have had to endure much more vitriol than ya’ll , and over a longer time frame….and if I can forgive “pastor” Worley … you can too…

This “church” also has a facebook page. I encourage anyone who feels like doing so, to post a few words of, ahem, encouragement.

Tim Contreras via Facebook

I need ear bleach…

http://jasowl@earthlink.net Jane

The value of turning the other cheek does not mean accepting this. The time is way past for comparing the rhetoric of so-called Christian pastors and far-right politicians to that which prepared the way for the slaughter of Jews in Europe. Inciting people to kill the President, or lgbt people or anyone else should result in arrest. Creating laws that dehumanize women and lgbt people and prevent them from having full human and civil rights, means that politicians are not capable of representing their constituents; they should be recalled.

Yes, there should be busloads of queers and allies outside this man’s building (I am no going to call it a church) and, as for Sojourners, they need to amend their banner description to read: Celebrating 40 Years of Faith in Action for Social Justice for Some People.

Judy

I know you don’t believe in a literal hell John, but I do.. And I am quite sure this man will rot in it.

http://www.worthingtonpost.wordpress.com Aliza

Can I choose which fence to be in? I’d choose Fornicators, I think…

http://www.facebook.com/douglas.sewell Doug Sewell via Facebook

Pat Hux unfortunately, in the south, they’re not losing members as fast as other churches … and the “mainline protestant” churches are losing even faster around here than the conservative/fundamentalist churches.

n.

At the end, does he really say “can you imagine kissing another man?! My God, [large pause] i love it!” probably not, but for once i am glad to have a hearing loss. It was pretty funny.

http://www.facebook.com/nwbuckeye Pat Hux via Facebook

oh, yeah, that makes sense… #$%*&@ – there, now I feel better..

http://www.worthingtonpost.wordpress.com Aliza

Where’s the “I aPoLoGizE for these Christians” girl when we need her???

This is what I want to say, but I don’t know if I should send it to him:

Dear Pastor Charles,

It’s interesting to me that you believe the solution the the gay “problem” in our country is rounding up the entire gay community and segregating them from the rest of society and waiting until they die out. I find it interesting because I believe the solution to the problem is to wait until you and people who share your prejudice die out. We will see which population is around 50 years from now.

Kerry Switzer via Facebook

Jana, your words fit me too – it is almost like I wrote them! I have realized I need to stand up and be vocal in my support. To quote MLK Jr., “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

Heather Fitz via Facebook

Methinks Pasto Worley is gonna have one helluva wake up call when he finds himself before God. Just saying…I’ll be writing. A lot.

Rhea Flanery via Facebook

Sent!

http://www.worthingtonpost.wordpress.com Aliza

I had the same thought! Party!!!!

Jana Harrison Currier via Facebook

Amen, Kerry!

http://www.facebook.com/ginamarie33 Gina Minard-Rivera via Facebook

Sent too!

Amy

Doesn’t he realize the entire gay population will never die out because 99% of us are born to STRAIGHT parents?

That’s all I’m going to say about that. I’m experiencing some very interesting emotions and opinions right now that aren’t appropriate for airing in a public forum.

Jana Harrison Currier via Facebook

Here’s what I wrote on the PRBC FB page: Mr. Worley, it saddens me that anyone would condone suggest such hateful acts, particularly when that person is supposed to be a man of God. These people who you speak about with such hate are sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, moms, dads, aunts, uncles, friends to many who love them. I hope and pray you will search your heart and realize that this is no way to treat fellow human beings.

Daniel R. Tolan via Facebook

So when will these kind of organizations tax exempt status be revoked?

I just sent a message tellin him what I think of him and his message of hate. It was difficult not to use an array of 4 letter words.

Shirley Reed via Facebook

This man is a disgrace to all Christians! He will surely answer to the Father for his wickedness and falsehoods.

Charles Oetting via Facebook

he also is not accepting any e mail ..

Melody

Ditto, Wendy. I have no kind or self-restraining words for people (I use the term lightly) like this who make me lose faith in the human race. This excuse for a man and anyone who thinks like him are nothing but scum. I will not apologize for saying that.

Melody

Oh, you used the KJV instead of one of those other per-versions! Maybe he’ll listen to you. /end sarcasm/

http://www.facebook.com/natalie.jones.3348 Natalie Jones via Facebook

Dude, it’s AGAINST! Seriously Pastor Hatespeech don’t just hand me things by which to make fun of your bigotry. I like to at least work at it a little.

Kelven

The Internet has become the voice of the mass consciousness. Even those who do not have access are represented by those who would take up their causes and bring them voice. When people like this stand up in public and say the things they do, they have impact. He is getting a self created lesson in the school of hard knocks. There is no doubt that we live in an eye for an eye culture. For a lot of gay people, venting their anger at people like this is a way to relive the pressure of being publically despised by idiots like this. Although many people will try to reflect his cruelty back to him through their words, I have no doubt there will be many who will be kinder in their judgements, because they are more in a place of understanding and forgiving. But just as he has a right to say hateful things, others have a right to say hateful things back. It is difficult for many in the gay community to be understanding of people who activly condemn us in such vile ways. Telling people that you love them but your holy book commands them to unpleasant death and hell afterwards is the kind of lie that makes the baby Jesus cry.

Melody

Just to clarify, you did just fine. That was a jab at the KJV-only stance of IFBs.

My email to him: Matthew 7:1: “Do not judge lest you be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; AND BY YOUR STANDARD OF MEASURE, IT WILL BE MEASURED TO YOU.”

I would not want to be you on judgement day. Enjoy the electric fences in hell

Melody

Oh, he has, for sure. He just thinks it only applies to how people treat him, not how he treats others.

http://www.facebook.com/DianeReischling Diane Re via Facebook

Doug the pastor is clearly campaigning against Obama and rallying his congregation to get him out of office. It’s a violation of the very clear boundaries set up against that kind of thing.

Melody

If you live nearby, I say go for it! Monsters like this need to be protested.

Melody

Don’t use the “Judge not” cop-out (see John’s post on that). Jesus condemned the Pharisees and religious leaders, calling them what they were: hypocrites and snakes. And that’s what this evil, pathetic excuse for a human being is: a venomous, vicious snake who needs to be called out and stopped.

DR

Love.

Melody

I’m not sure I believe in it myself, but I’m with you: bastards like this make me want there to be one. I also believe in karma. So, hell or no hell, sooner or later, it’s gonna come back to bite him in the ass.

DR

Pray and confront. Do both.

Kathy

I was definitely too nice. I extracted many things I could have/would have/should have said. It was intentional, and also difficult.

MAB

And I specifically said that we have to stand up to this hate. “Judge not” is not a cop out. And I will be the first to stand up and defend LGBT as children of God. But an eye for an eye serves no purpose at all except for revenge and hate. And it will drive many people away from the right cause. They are waiting to see who acts with wisdom. There are many ways we can stand up to bigots without using their tactics. Martin Luther King, Jr. did it.

http://www.facebook.com/jason.p.engel Jason Engel via Facebook

Diane, that whole “separation of church and state” is only a one-way street. The first amendment only states the government will not play religious favoritism. Churches are completely free to encourage their congregants to vote a certain or espouse specific politics. Sad but true.

jack

I’ve started this reply about 4 times now. I want to some something logical and well reasoned, but I can’t. So, let me just spew. This man is an @$$!!

unknown

they forgot his personal address and phone number:

3912 Williams St Maiden, NC 28650-8452

(828) 428-9550

jack

I’m so angry! I meant to write, “…reply with something…”. Seriously, what is he thinking? Does he really think he’s reflecting Jesus? I’ve just about had it with christianity, and that’s scares me! I’ve spent my life, personally and professionally in trying to live out the gospel. I refuse to believe that this empty hearted, empty minded man truly understands the good news. With that said, I say we herd up all the over-weight, hate-filled, idiots and put them behind an electrified fence. BTW…the long pause after asking about kissing another man…could it be that he was doing just that and enjoying it? And THAT’S giving rise to his hate and anger?!

http://www.facebook.com/jason.p.engel Jason Engel via Facebook

And it would appear the Facebook page of this church has also been removed. If you click the link provided by David John Lawrence it appears to just got to the main Facebook page instead of the church’s page.

Kelven

This is why I am becoming a regular reader of this blog. These types of clips are continuously posted on the gay blogs. But if you as Christians want to reclaim the message of Jesus, this is the heavy lifting part. These are the types of things you must now commit to confronting and dealing with continuosly. It is your heroic story for this age. It soothes my heart considerably to know people like John Shore and Kathy Baldock are making the effort to mitigate these haters. But I expect the rhetoric is going to get a lot uglier. With that in mind I would recommend to anyone, don’t feel obligated to listen to every hateful that gets posted. I actually don’t listen to most because it is a much more intense vibration to listen and watch than to just read someone’s words. It stays with you longer. Being aware of these events doesn’t require you saturate yourself with them, and your recovery and return to a sense of grace will be quicker.

Kerry Switzer via Facebook

Jana, I sent you a message – it will probably come in as “other”

Diana A.

He’ll be forgiven the moment that he repents (changes.) Which may take awhile.

Stacey eckenrode

I understand that the Christian faith is against homosexuality and that is there right, but Jesus Christ did not teach this type of hate. Yes we are to turn from sin , but we are to treat all people with respect and to help them in time of need etc.( Love them). Not to put them behind a electric fence! What a freak. I would never go back to that church if I were a member. Even IF I did believe that homosexuality was a sin.

http://kellythinkstoomuch.wordpress.com KellyK

There is, however, a limit on how much of that they can do and keep their tax-exempt status.

http://kellythinkstoomuch.wordpress.com KellyK

You know, hating on fat people is not particularly helpful. The size of his body is completely and utterly irrelevant to the nastiness he’s spewing.

Diana A.

One can forgive him and still hold him accountable for his bad attitude. Still, I see your point that we don’t want to get carried away with our anger.

Mindy

You win again, Lymis!! I LOVE this. And he’d believe it, he would. Because that’s just how many smarts he’s got in his noggin.

Diana A.

Like!

Al Smythe

Dear American Brothers & Sisters:

Be strong and be brave and do not allow the ranting and ravings of a sick disillusional and ignorant pathetic tiny little man get to you. Enjoy the love you have for your fellow man or woman and be grateful that the media allows these sick persons to go on TV to show just how sick they are. As A Canadian, I know that the day will come where the USA will finally get on board with Gay Marriage, something that so many others countries around the world have waken up to realize is a basic human right. We have all been law abiding and tax paying citizens and we deserve the same rights as the rest!

Don’t bother emailing or writing this idiot ..write the Attorney General of the USA AND The President of the USA and ask them to step in and charge him with hate crimes. While he has “freedom of speach” this video and his comments violate other laws and this is how this sort of person needs to be held accountable for his vehemous words.

He and his spewing also violates the rules set for organizations that have not-for-profit & charitable status (not paying taxes) and by writing the aforementioned his church can lose that status and his mouth will be shut.

Al S. Canada

Kathy Carrasco via Facebook

Jason, I’m sorry but you are not entirely correct. Yes, a pastor can urge his congregants to vote. Yes, if the wording is careful enough, even to vote a certain way (by ennumerating the “values” one “should be looking for” and etc., you see… when that clearly points to a certain candidate or party). But it crosses the line if, from the pulpit, a specific candidate is named, or if the people are exhorted to vote a particular way on a question or amendment, for instance. Not that it doesn’t happen fairly often, and not that it’s often prosecuted when it does (just rarely and usually very selectively), but nonetheless it’s illegal. And a church which violates it too blatantly and/or too often *can* lose their tax-exempt status, which of course none of them want to have happen.

Kathy Carrasco via Facebook

Jason, I’m sorry but you are not entirely correct. Yes, a pastor can urge his congregants to vote. Yes, if the wording is careful enough, even to vote a certain way (by ennumerating the “values” one “should be looking for” and etc., you see… when that clearly points to a certain candidate or party). But it crosses the line if, from the pulpit, a specific candidate is named, or if the people are exhorted to vote a particular way on a question or amendment, for instance. Not that it doesn’t happen fairly often, and not that it’s often prosecuted when it does (just rarely and usually very selectively), but nonetheless it’s illegal. And a church which violates it too blatantly and/or too often *can* lose their tax-exempt status, which of course none of them want to have happen.

MAB

Folks. Please. Think wisely. Don’t use their tactics. Please don’t let this guy think he is a martyr.

MAB

Thank you, David. God holds ALL of us accountable for our behavior. Let’s act with dignity. Vent here. But use wisdom.

http://www.facebook.com/jason.p.engel Jason Engel via Facebook

Retaining tax exemption isn’t quite the same as a foundational rule of society expressly forbidding a certain action in all circumstances. One is optional, the other is mandatory. So, I stand by my earlier assertion.

http://www.facebook.com/jason.p.engel Jason Engel via Facebook

Retaining tax exemption isn’t quite the same as a foundational rule of society expressly forbidding a certain action in all circumstances. One is optional, the other is mandatory. So, I stand by my earlier assertion.

MAB

Not sure if you were referring the last sentence toward me. I hope not. Because I didn’t say that. Like ever. I understand anger. And certainly some righteous anger in this case. But the dangers of the internet exist for all of us. The ability to whip everyone up in a frenzy in an instant…and people do not stop to think. There are wiser ways to call out the behavior and words of this man. We cannot let him and those like him think he is a martyr. And there is a difference between “judging” others and discernment and accountability. I will stand up to this man and others like him, but I won’t use his language or actions to do it.

Tom Liston via Facebook

I sent the following email to the good pastor: Watching your diatribe against gays and lesbians on Facebook has finally convinced me that reason is utterly helpless in the face of profound ignorance, as fire is to water. You, sir, and the people who agree with you, are proof positive that evolution is a hoax; such atavistic and willful stupidity would surely have been eradicated were it not.

Tom Liston Stow, Ohio

Tom Liston via Facebook

I sent the following email to the good pastor: Watching your diatribe against gays and lesbians on Facebook has finally convinced me that reason is utterly helpless in the face of profound ignorance, as fire is to water. You, sir, and the people who agree with you, are proof positive that evolution is a hoax; such atavistic and willful stupidity would surely have been eradicated were it not.

Tom Liston Stow, Ohio

Christelle

Yes!

Tom Liston via Facebook

I tried to send the following message to the good pastor, but evidently the email address is wrong, or removed: “Watching your diatribe against gays and lesbians on Facebook has finally convinced me that reason is utterly helpless in the face of profound ignorance, as fire is to water. You, sir, and the people who agree with you, are proof positive that evolution is a hoax; such atavistic and willful stupidity would surely have been eradicated were it not.” Tom Liston, Stow, Ohio

Tom Liston via Facebook

I tried to send the following message to the good pastor, but evidently the email address is wrong, or removed: “Watching your diatribe against gays and lesbians on Facebook has finally convinced me that reason is utterly helpless in the face of profound ignorance, as fire is to water. You, sir, and the people who agree with you, are proof positive that evolution is a hoax; such atavistic and willful stupidity would surely have been eradicated were it not.” Tom Liston, Stow, Ohio

Ben

Disgusting.

After spewing all the hatred he pauses to wonder if what he says next he should even say from the pulpit ‘can you imagine kissing some man?’ — THAT is what he’s unsure about? AFTER spewing his hatred.

Disgusting.

Leslie Marbach

Just to clarify, Stacey eckenrode, the Christian faith is NOT against homosexuality. A *segment* of Christians is against it.

SquirrelyGirl

I am not ordinarily outspoken on these subjects on FB because I will have my message box full of those who will pray for me so I will not go to hell. But this one touched too close to home. My precious son who survived two bouts of cancer made a short film based on facing death, darkness and hopelessness, he named it “Providence Road”..I wrote a song to go with the film based on the everlasting love and grace and mercy of God…now this jerk from “Providence Road Baptist Church” is being played all over every major network in the country. So I could not be silent. It was an eye opener for me …a long time Southern Baptist. It was the moment I realized …I can never be associated with any denomination that would allow this man to be a minister or the people who would shout “amen” to him. My heart breaks a little for them..what does that mean?

Leslie Marbach

Good. That’s 2 church facebook pages that have been taken down in a large part because we have said “Enough of the hatred!”

Leslie Marbach

If I understand it correctly, pastors can urge their congregation to vote one way or another on issues only. They cannot endorse individual candidates.

http://www.facebook.com/djlorenc David John Lawrence

I just tried to click over to the link myself and got the same result. Just like cockroaches, they flee from the light.

Vince

I see that the website is down with a “Server Default Page” message.

Diana A.

Which kind of tells the truth about what they really are, doesn’t it?

Kelven

So sorry, I was referring to people like this “preacher” and others like him. I was really just pointing out that anyone who puts themselves out like that is really asking for a whole range of responses. I personally believe as you that responding in kind usually prolongs the conflict. That you take the path of reasoned calm is admirable. But I also don’t fault anyone that vents on him either.

Adara Pallady via Facebook

Sent him a nice email telling him I was praying for his heart to open or his mouth to close.

loving straight mother of bi child

Well love cant be defined by anyone but oneself…. And personally Mr. “homophobic on the skin, curious wanderer of the mind” Pastor (well not by biblical definition) must not take his thoughts and inquisitive mind as an excuse to degrade others the way he himself was as a child….. Its a white trash mind of the uneducated who lacks self confidence will and equality for Oneself that follows the path of belittling others to pedestool themself. MY INTUITION IS HE FANTACIZES ABOUT THE PENIS OF ANOTHER HE NEVER HAD A REAL ORGASM …. BUT ONCE WHEN HIS finger slipped into his own a**… We should collect donations for A DOGGY SHOCK COLLAR THAT KEEPS HIM WITHIN 5 FEET OF THE PERIMETER OF THESE CAGES BY HIGH VOLTAGE SHOCK…. GAY MEN WOMEN STRAIGHT PEOPLE LOCKED UP WITH ONLY FOOD AND MIND… he would have nothing to do but eat popcorn and watch movies heaven for bid.

Al Smythe

God will bless you and your son, and while I am not religious I at least follow the 10 commandments and offer you hope for joy, health and happiness to you and your son. Please do not thank me, but “Pay it forward” and be kind to others!

God loves all of his children regardless of Race, Colour, or Religion!

Ann

Goodness, Kelven, that was well put. As someone who has a job with plenty of “secondary trauma” issues, your last sentence really resonates. You’re right. If we’re going to check in and clue in, we need to deal with the negative reinforcement of just keeping our eyes open – because otherwise we’ll just close our eyes.

Good Point MAB. It took me a long time to post my post, and I am a Canadian where Gay Marriage has been legal for over 25 years. I saw a sign held by a straight woman standing on the sidewalk during a Gay Pride Parade in NYC 25-years ago. THE SIGN SAID: ” That We Love Each Other is all that Matters”………I walked up to her , introduced myself to her, thanked her for her sign and then heard Her Story. She was HAPPY TO BE ALIVE and only wished joy & happyness for everyone!

She was an immegrant & survivor of Concentration camps from WW2, and we cried together, and then hugged afterwards. An amazing moment with two complete stangers who met on a sidewalk.

Al Smythe

Don’t bother emailing or writing this idiot ..write the Attorney General of the USA AND The President of the USA and ask them to step in and charge him with hate crimes. While he has “freedom of speach” this video and his comments violate other laws and this is how this sort of person needs to be held accountable for his vehemous words.

He and his spewing also violates the rules set for organizations that have not-for-profit & charitable status (not paying taxes) and by writing the aforementioned his church can lose that status and his mouth will be shut.

Melody

I don’t think she’s hating on fat people. Rather, I think she’s pointing out his blatant hypocrisy when it comes to what he calls sin. He knows perfectly well that the Bible calls gluttony a sin, so why does he rail against gays when he doesn’t take care of himself?

Melody

Fair enough, I stand corrected. I’m just so used to people using that phrase to tell us not to tell the truth or confront, but I see that’s not your intention. I still think he’s a monster, and no doubt he already has a martyr complex without our comments, as most extremists do. That said, I’m glad you’re standing up for LGBT rights along with us.

http://vestacha84.wordpress.com Michael

Amen, amen, and amen

http://vestacha84.wordpress.com Michael

Here was my letter:

Pastor (and I use that title very lightly),

Last I checked, it is against 501(c)3 law to use the pulpit to further a particular political agenda, so let’s hope no one in charge of your nonprofit status sees your recent video. But this is not my primary reason for writing.

I’m a gay man. I’m a Christian. And I’m married to my partner. And just as you shared your disappointment with our president, I share mine in you as a brother in Christ, as a fellow clergy person, and as a member of the human race. To suggest the segregation of LGBT persons (you said lesbians, queers, and homosexuals so I presume you meant the whole gamut of us) for the purpose of killing us off is despicable.

I don’t know what Jesus you profess belief in or serve, but it is most certainly not the Jesus I know the Gospel to proclaim, who by the way never once spoke against homosexuality. Last I checked, he said things like love one another as I have loved you, do to others as you’d have them do to you, and judge not or else you will be judged in the same manner in which you judge.

It saddens me to see clergy propagating hatred and malice and sheer bile, yet you did so with a particular lack of eloquence. Usually such anger only comes from those who experience shame for feeling and experiencing that which they fear. So I pray this.

I pray and abundance of love on you from every last gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and queer person who dares reach out to you. I pray for your heart to be softened. And I pray for you to encounter the true Jesus and the radical, non discriminating, fully inclusive love that he embodies. And most of all, I pray God’s mercy on you for leading God’s children astray and being a stumbling block to those against whom you speak. May you know true love, peace, and grace.

Sincerely,

Michael Overman

Adara Pallady via Facebook

My email was bounced-

Susie

Oh, gosh… so tempting to fire off a snarky e-mail at this guy… but honestly, I doubt it would accomplish much more than entertaining myself! The only way that people change is in the context of relationship, but people like this guy will probably never change unless struck by a blinding light on the road to Damascus.

SquirrelyGirl

I realize that entire post sounded selfish .but I did not mean it that way. I meant having the words “Providence Road” ( which means so much to our family and our journey) being attached to the same name of this church was almost more than I could bear. But that is not the only reason I had to speak up. It is time for all of us to stand up against anyone who would hurt our fellowman in the name of God. I still have a long way to go but I am learning more everyday.

the sad thing about this going viral is, when “regular” people who use God to condemn LGBT folks see this, they are like “see, I’m not hateful or judgemental like that”. Just reinforces their belief that they are God-fearing “right” Christians. Kind of like all the folks who supported segregation but didn’t actually lynch anybody themselves. sigh.

SquirrelyGirl

Thank you John, I didn’t see your page before I saw this on the news and of course because we had a short film and song and a Christian cd named “Providence Road”..EVERYONE was telling me about it…I was physically ill after listening to his rant. Brings back some pretty bad memories for me. I am so thankful to have a safe place to share.

Steve

Probably one of the best responses I’ve read! I wonder how many of his parishioners who are screaming “Amen” are willing to lock up their children or Grandchildren and let them die? I bet they wouldn’t be screaming Amen then! Touche Pastor!

https://www.facebook.com/mike.haas.3914 Mike H

It seems like – no, it doesn’t “seem”. Nearly everyday we’re being treated to an example and confirmation that we’re a nation of bigots – racists, homophobes – it’s a long list. You have to play connect the dots for a moment: How many people are in the congregation of this one man alone. How many affirmed his message? How many affirmed the message of Sean “crack that wrist” Harris? How many affirm a similar message each and every Sunday (or more) for which no recorded document exists?

Let those numbers multiply. The “six degrees” corollary certainly applies. One could drown in this cesspool of hate. One can also turn the clock back and imagine what these preachers and teachers were saying about African-Americans and “miscegenation”, the favorite racist code word of the 50s and 60s.

Remove or significantly dilute one source of hate via social action and another target appears to fill the void. If by our actions on forums such as this we are successful in improving the over all quality of living of our gay friends and families, what’s next? All of us could probably fill in the blank with one of a myriad number of social “evils” for these leeches to attach themselves too. In fact, they already have. I wonder how they juggle which “evil” deserves the focus of their discerning eyes, especially when raking in the dough and “soul winning” takes up so much time.

Personally I blame some of this awful cacophony on ODS – “Obama Derangement Syndrome” and the drive off the cliff stupid that defines the obsession the Right has in removing him from office. It is 2012 and suddenly anti-contraception legislation is being written and passed. The War on Women is all too real and all that it engenders. The Pro Life message is not only louder, but more invasive. People are learning that their constitutional rights are exercised only at the discretion of the police and that many of their “exceptional” countrymen would rather they succumb to disease from lack of medical coverage rather than pay the few dollars extra per year that would drive single-payer and otherwise, do their utmost to defeat HCR and the protection it affords to those with “pre-existing conditions”.

And our homosexual friends and family are now allowed to be cannon-fodder openly in the Armed Forces in order to further drive corporate profits, but in 30 States in the Union, they are still denied equal rights. Our children are killing themselves thanks to adults whose hatred and vilification has the “authority” of faith. Children have to rely on authority to live. The rebellion of children simply isn’t tolerated regardless of the reasons why. We live in a society that is much more comfortable with a news story of a child severly injured or killed by a parent or loved one than we are with a news story of a child involved in a physical altercation with same, even if it was in self-defense.

And all around us the civilized world plods ahead of us while the wingnuts try desperately to hold on to the notion of “American Exceptionalism”. I live in Germany – a working Social Democracy. When I return to the States after my wife’s contract with the Government is up – about 4 1/2 years from now, I will come back bewildered because right now, I’m isolated from American madness by an ocean. I can only read and interact in forums such as this, on Facebook and by phone. But I’m not touched personally (or “in person”) by it. I don’t see it on the street-corner like I did last year. I continue in hoping that this experience in Europe will give me the ideas I need to enter public life in the US at some point. My only disappointment is that when and if I make that happen – I’ll be 55 years old. I hope that’s not too late in life to try to use my experience here and whatever resources at my disposal to try to do some small part in driving America to realize that striving to aspire to move beyond its delusion of being “exceptional” is its only hope of survival and maintaining any level of relevancy to its neighbors, and protecting its citizens – ALL of its citizens at home.

I’m ranting, I know. I mean no shift of focus off-topic, especially to me. Keep up the good fight. Our capacity to understand human suffering and develop social theory to address it outpaces our capacity to change society or its behaviors. Social change is a long and painful process. John wrote a few days ago, and I’m paraphrasing (or stealing) a concept that I was experiencing a loss of words for: Faith is not irrational. It is no more irrational than Hope. Without Hope, we’re dead.

So write this guy. Let his congregation know by way of social media that his message and its the bullying by peers and family that it confirms and supports, have human cost. Let them know that you will never accept it. Jesus never taught you to “turn the other cheek” and avoid “judging” someone committing a crime – people like this aid and abet others who actively bait, molest and physically injure the vulnerable.

I’m trying to keep up with contact info for this idiot and will borrow much from my letter to the school that hosts THIS shithead:

Jack Conklin, the teacher in the article above, has my current attention because he directly influences students and befriends them on his FB page – I consider him far more immediately threatening.

All by best,

Mike

https://www.facebook.com/mike.haas.3914 Mike H

And a reminder – you are armed with some of the best “social theory” and wisdom ever created. The words and example your Jesus set for you. I’m not a Christian, but I deeply admire those words and wisdom.

Amy

Wow.

That’s all I can say. Mike, thank you for this. As a service member who spent more than 7 years overseas, I can say I know exactly what you mean, how you feel and what you are saying. (I’m also a non-Christian, after growing up in a fundamentalist christian cult for 18 years, I left the church and have no faith in any god.) It’s hard being back here, but I have a feeling you will make great contributions to our society upon your return.

https://www.facebook.com/mike.haas.3914 Mike H

Thanks, Michael – I like the tone very much.

https://www.facebook.com/mike.haas.3914 Mike H

It was not selfish. You reminded us that life is too short to engage in behavior that is harmful to our children – children are the most affected, and for a lifetime, by shitheads like this pastor and the people he influences.

I’m so happy you get to continue to enjoy your life and relationship with your son – what a great kid!

And then imagine the lives of some of the children of these congregants when and if they come out. Some parents will change their hearts because now the “problem” is a beloved family member. Others will abandon their kids and subject them to Hell on Earth.

http://www.facebook.com/elena.porcelli Elena Porcelli via Facebook

Please, tell me he’s a comedian doing a bad parody of a pastor, not an actual pastor

Bobbi

The sad part of this is that most likely, after shutting down their website and e-mail and FB page, come next Sunday this man will probably stand in his pulpit and talk about how the world persecutes their church for standing up and speaking the truth, and that the world hates when someone speaks the truth. It will prove to him how active Satan is and fights the truth of the word. He will paint himself as a martyr for preaching the true word of God.

Danielle Buie via Facebook

Ha… Tom… hi You were going to send the crazy preacher who can’t even correctly pronounce the word “against” a letter containing the word “atavistic”? Props for the multi-faceted badassery on that one, my friend.

michael

so how does he know god is ‘agen it’?

http://anglopole.wordpress.com/ Anglopole

Are you sure this Pastor Charles L. Worley isn’t a stand-up comedian trying desperately to make people laugh?

On a serious note, though, his expose is just plain ridiculously foolish…. What saddens me is to know there are people in his congregation who applaud it …..

Btw. here, in the UK what he said is a criminal offence….

https://www.facebook.com/mike.haas.3914 Mike H

Well…let me rethink what I said in the last line. He’s not *more immediately* threatening. He’s *just” as threatening, even if his audience is smaller.

https://www.facebook.com/mike.haas.3914 Mike H

Bobbi – I think you can bank on it.

Lymis

Yes, but, just like with segregation, the people who think that way would have been doing it anyway, usually to utter silence from people around them. When things like this come to light, people talk about it, and what they say isn’t just “this is wrong because it’s so extreme.” What the people who think it’s okay to be quietly or politely homophobic or racist hear is people saying that it isn’t okay to be homophobic or racist at all.

And, just like with overt racism, a lot of people who are quietly and unthinkingly bigoted can just as quietly shift out of it. Can you find anyone today who even admits to having supported segregation?

Lymis

Actually, you’re close but still not quite correct.

Pastors can urge people to vote a certain way on an issue, just not for a candidate. They can urge people to vote a certain way on a question or amendment. They can also urge people to vote for the general idea of people who uphold a certain view, and “separately” inform their people about which candidates hold certain views while not specifically saying who to vote for.

So you can say “only vote to oppose abortion, and here is a handy voter guide” that happens to point out that Candidate A opposes abortion while Candidate B does not, but they cannot say “Vote for Candidate A.”

n.

Not selfish… i see it as more of a microcosm of the whole problem of mean people ruining christianity for lots of people.

Funny thing about associations, i thought Providence Rd was only in Charlotte NC. Living near CLT, we’ve driven by there on different errands in the city.

n.

What he said still broke the rule, though?

I think the rule is silly. Maybe we should take away the tax exempt thing and let preachers get into politics. I mean it worked in the Civil Rights movement, and there are more and more churches and pastors on the side of justice in the different civil rights movements happening now (i count the LGBTQ but also immigrant rights, interfaith movements, and social justice in general)…

Plus, if all the preachers could say what they Really Meant, then we would know which ones were Really Mean.

n.

On second thought, that might be too much reality.

Shelly Dunham Griswold via Facebook

Oh my, seeing this hurts my heart, because I can imagine the impressionable children sitting in that church listening to this preacher. Some of them may be gay, and they have to listen to him say those vile things. I have to remind myself, though, that he is a child of God. I could not disagree with him any more than I already do. And I wish he did not have a pulpit from which to spew his hate. But I believe that if we hate him the way he hates others, we may be missing the point of Christ’s teachings. May God have mercy on his poor, misguided soul.

Jana Harrison Currier via Facebook

John, Rev. Mark Sandlin of The God Article and Zac Bailes of Crazy Liberals and Conservatives wanted a unique way to get the message across. A lady named Michelle McBriarty suggested that everyone make a contribution in Mr. Worley’s name to an LGBT organization. Rev. Sandlin took it a step further and recommended that everyone who makes a donation notify Mr. Worley. Rev. Sandlin is working on a list of organizations – I’ll share the update as soon as he posts.

n.

It’s not right to conflate his dialect with his bigotry. I’ve lived in the South for nearly 15yrs and have met a great variety of people here. Not everyone who talks “Country” is a redneck, and not everyone who self-identifies as redneck is a bigot (there are shades of meaning even within those cultural words).

If he was “agin’” harming the least of these in Jesus’ name, if he wanted people to raise up their “young’ns” in Christian love for their fellow man, would you be making fun of his English?

Because there ARE people like that, and i hope you meet them. And i hope that one day they will be the majority. I don’t really care if the South adopts a different dialect, i just hope that bigots in ALL regions will be convinced of the error of their ways.

When i arrived in SC from NY state, i was more conservative than the people here. I’m a little bit obsessed with the holocaust so i wouldn’t have advocated concentration camp techniques, but i did believe the whole “abomination” crap. Seeing what a “christian-dominated” culture was like is probably part of what turned me away from the dominionist (or whatever you want to call that) ideology. Don’t think kids aren’t growing up here and turning away on their own, cos they are. There are a lot of people more fre-thinking than i ever was, that figure stuff out earlier in life.

n.

FREE-thinking. Pls excuse typos.

n.

I was thinking about that, too.

n.

They’d probably get it wrong and put lots of straight tomboys in there, as well. Especially if that guy from the other church was helping them pick their lesbians.

But hey, you never know, maybe a lot of us gendernonconforming girls would find out we were bi.

n.

(,^_^,)

otter

The truly shocking element of this video is the “amens” in the congregation. These come from people who hold themselves to be followers of Christ yet have not enough moral compass to speak out against injustice or oppose the ravings of a madman.

Christianity is bleeding to death from such followers as these.

n.

Yeah here in SC we thought that NC was way better. Until the recent amendment1 controversy. I think even SC has marriage equality illegal only once (or maybe not, maybe it’s twice and i wasn’t paying attention back then)…

But i hope that we (or better, those of you that are actually from here, cos you know what is worse than a damn’ yankee, is one that tries to tell ppl “how they do things up North”) can turn the Carolinas around, because there are some of the nicest people in the country here, with some of the meanest dogmas…

n.

Could you tell if there was a lot of them? This has been bothering me.

n.

If there WERE. Sorry.

otter

anybody want a swig of kool-aid?

otter

COuldn’t tell you if a lot ….any would be too many, tho

n.

ALSO: the people who say we should Do Something.

I think making awareness of ourselves, just to people we know, as “christians who love queers”, as that guy might say, is one thing to do.

Another thing is to go to your local Pride this summer and have a sign about that.

If you are in NC, Kathy Baldock is going to do her straight-apology and reconciliation and bully-blocking thing again at Charlotte Pride in June, and we can join her. I plan to.

I’m even bringing my-husband-the-agnostic along, although *he* has nothing to apologize for.

AND, of course, we can VOTE. And we can sign petitions and push for LGBTQ equality (and other civil rights and social justice) laws at a federal level.

n.

Well yes. That’s the other problem.

http://Www.cindymurphythinkingoutloud.blogspot.com Cindy

Gay people tend to be very good at spotting other gay people. And I’m assuming that anybody that dreams of gathering all gay men together in one spot, fenced off and separated from any women, is likely gay and thus possesses advanced gaydar. He’s probably a little on the kinky side too, with the whole electric fence fantasy…

Manny

I think we should start a prayer group for Rev Charles and his congregation. He definitely needs some divine intervention, language and or speech lessons, and a more in depth understanding of religious theology,

I’ve seen this type of behavior in the past (i..e., homophobic, fear mongering, and spreading hate onto the mass populous).

It usually came from individuals that have repressed sexual identity issues.

So lets pray for Charles and hope that Jesus will take him by the hand and lead him to a healthier, realistic, loving, and fulfilling life.

Lord, show us the world as it really is, show us the duties that shall await us. Let me know when you need us. We despise the errs Reverend Charles had made but love him as your child. Please guide him and support him in the manner that is righteous.

Amen.

Melody

You’re right, bigotry is found everywhere. Unfortunately, it seems the South is more of a hotbed for it. I grew up in the South, so I’ve witnessed unabashed bigotry first hand. I think the reason people are knocking his accent is because it sounds unbearably ignorant, and ignorance is an essential part of bigotry. He just sounds like the stereotypical ignorant redneck preacher, and he’s perpetuating the stereotype with his atrocious pronunciation.

Manny

I apologize for referring to Pastor Charles as Pastor John ….

Encl Revised document

I think we should start a prayer group for Rev Charles and his congregation. He definitely needs some divine intervention, language and or speech lessons, and a more in depth understanding of religious theology,

I’ve seen this type of behavior in the past (i..e., homophobic, fear mongering, and spreading hate onto the mass populous).

It usually came from individuals that have repressed sexual identity issues.

So lets pray for Rev Charles and hope that Jesus will take him by the hand and lead him to a healthier, realistic, loving, and fulfilling life.

Lord, show us the world as it really is, show us the duties that shall await us. Let me know when you need us. We despise the errs Reverend Charles had made but love him as your child. Please guide him and support him in the manner that is righteous.

Amen.

dan(chicago)

Me thinks I smell a pastor with a dwindling congregation(or perhaps a church scandal brewing) that needs a quick enemy. Sadly, it sometimes works — for a time.

Mindy

I just sent this to the “preacherworley@charter.net” email address and it did not bounce.

Dear Mr. Worley –

I doubt that you have any concept of the damage your hateful, sinful words have done, but I know many have written to let you know. I know that you have misrepresented the word of God, put a political agenda into a sermon and generally made a fool of yourself on the world stage now that your antics have gone viral. And I know that there is a small group who will support you, just as white supremacy still lurks in tiny pockets of our culture.

What you may not realize is that those who make the most noise, those who protest the loudest and proclaim their disgust with LGBT people the most often, are the ones most likely to be struggling internally with same-sex attraction. Study after study has proven this to be true. So what you may not realize is that through this rant, you also outed yourself as a man who is probably gay or bisexual yet so filled with self-loathing that he can’t face the truth – and fights it by fighting others.

I find it so sad that your life never led you to a path of honesty and truth, of self-understanding and acceptance. And even more sad that you are doing all in your power to push that self-hatred onto yet another generation.

Know that many of us who are straight allies of the LGBT community are praying for you, hoping that in the aftermath of this debacle you called a sermon, you will be able to look inward and let God show your heart what Jesus really meant when he said LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

With great sympathy -

http://www.cindymurphythinkingoutloud.blogspot.com Cindy

Ummm…. with all due respect, you’re a little confused on Canadian law. Canada has most definitely not had gay marriage (or as I prefer marriage equality) for anywhere near 25 years. No country has had marriage equality for that long. The Netherlands was the first country to include same-sex relationships in their marriage legislation and that was only 11 years ago in 2001. In Canada, we have had most of the legal benefits of married couples since 1999 when common-law status was extended to include same-sex couples. The first provinces to extend legal marriages to same-sex couples where Ontario and BC in June of 2003 via court rulings. Although, the Ontario decision was ordered to apply to two couples that had wed through the reading of banns before the law was extended, so I suppose technically one could argue that they were legally wed before the decision (in 2001) but it wasn’t recognized legally prior to the ruling. Most of the other provinces followed suit over the next year and a half or so and the stragglers were federally forced to comply with the passage of the Civil Marriage Act which came into effect in July of 2005.

Yes, it is true that we are ahead of the US in the matter of matter of marriage equality, but we’re not that far ahead. It hasn’t been anywhere near 25 years.

In an interesting side note on Canadian law and LGBT issues, I discovered recently that the age of consent for anal sex (not specifically an LGBT issue of course) is two years older than it is for other sex acts and does not include the same close in age exclusions. That means that if two 17 year old boys engage in the act, they are actually committing a criminal offence and further more, if the parents of one of said boys has knowledge of and allows such in their home they are also committing an offence according to our criminal code. Interesting stuff the criminal code. It also states that if anal sex is involved with more than two people present it shall be deemed public sex. Threesomes involving anal sex are criminal in Canada. Strange things get encoded into law, and tend to stay that way indefinitely until they are challenged in the courts…

n.

i mean i get that, but it hurts, because i think of my friends who talk Country and don’t think like that. and my gay Southern friends who are just as Southern as anybody.

Jon Loomis

Chances are the good reverend will be coming out of the closet himself – as so many self – hating gay conservatives have done in the past.

Melody

Yeah, I see what you mean. You’re really lucky; I don’t know any country people who are free thinkers, sadly. I’m really glad that you do have friends like that; it means that in spite of bigots like Worley, progress is being made.

Nicole

“Agin it?” Oh, lord.

Diana A.

This is true.

Diana A.

Thank you N. You make good points.

http://www.sparrowmilk.blogspot.com Shadsie

Finally got the guts to watch the imbedded video.

You know how it’s said that you’re supposed to try to find the good in people? One “good” thing: I find his use of the word “agin’ ” rather endearing just becuase I’m facinated by country-accents – mostly in trying to figure out how to write them to add character to some of my fictional characters. This makes “I’m agin’ it!” kind of… “lingusitically cute” to me.

However, all “cuteness” is unfortunately drowned out by this man being a Nazi. I also hate to “Godwin’s Law” things, but, honestly, concentration camps? Dude? You serious?

Diana A.

Wow. He’s not going to like that at all.

Diana A.

“I continue in hoping that this experience in Europe will give me the ideas I need to enter public life in the US at some point. My only disappointment is that when and if I make that happen – I’ll be 55 years old.”

Do not let age stop you from pursuing your dreams/goals/ideas. You may be exactly what we need.

Wow. Just…wow. And this is a pastor, a supposed man of God? You know what? This type of attitude and statement shouldn’t surprise me anymore, but this is still the distorted, disgusting image of Christianity the public is going to see. It seems the loudest and stupidest of us is the one who gets the most publicity.

http://www.facebook.com/JohnShoreFans John Shore via Facebook

Oh, Jason. How do you not know that I last night I added an update to my post on this matter about how this pastor’s church’s website had “gone boom”? Don’t you REREAD all my posts at least five times a day? No? Loser.

Ron Dial via Facebook

These asshats are living in their own Hell of ignorance and animosity. They don’t realize how they are wasting the one life they were given. I’m actually sad for these pathetic less-than-humans…

http://www.facebook.com/jason.p.engel Jason Engel via Facebook

Contrary to popular belief (amongst all the people in your head), not everyone who follows your posts spends every second with bated breath hoping for your next keystroke. I’ll try to read everything from you more thoroughly.

Ken Leonard via Facebook

Aaaaand, Rebecca Johnson Lucas just nailed it.

Because this guy cranks the bigotry up to 11, those who are running at 6 think that they’re not so bad and don’t have anything to fix.

Jana Harrison Currier via Facebook

I made a donation to Grace United Church of Christ of St. Paul in Mr. Worley’s name. I wrote the following letter to Mr. Worley (I refuse to address him as Pastor or Reverend):

Jana Harrison Currier via Facebook

Charles L. Worley Providence Road Baptist Church 3283 Providence Mill Road Maiden, NC 28650 Dear Mr. Worley: This letter is to inform you that I have made a donation in your name to Grace United Church of Christ of St. Paul. The senior minister, Rev. Oliver G. White, has taken a courageous stand in support of marriage equality. He understands well what it means to treat people with love, dignity and respect. I pray that you find a way to replace the hatred in your heart with love. Sincerely, Jana Currier A Proud Supporter of LGBT Rights

http://www.facebook.com/barbara.rice.334 Barbara Rice via Facebook

ooh Jason, that was pretty harsh, especially when John was clearly kidding.

Kate

Near the end when he said, “Can you imagine kissin’ some man?” – and then he paused for what felt like a long moment- my first thought was that he was, in fact, pausing to imagine kissing a man, and decided to stay there for a few extra seconds.

Something about him reminds me of some of my much older eastern KY relatives. Maybe that’s why I feel the need to pray for him today.

http://www.sparrowmilk.blogspot.com Shadsie

I think it’s just groupthink. The man in authority says something, the people in the crowd who perceieve that he has athourity over them feel the need to parrot and support.

I remember, as a kid, being the picked-on kid a lot, but when the clique I wanted to be a part of decided to pal up with me so we could all gang up on another unpopular kid, I went right along with it, just to be a part of something. And the bullying alternated between me and her being “in” and “the targets.” I can regret this deeply now, as an adult. The experience has given me an understanding of just how social/group-wired humans are. Sometimes, we’ll do things that are against concience and commonn sense just “to be a part.”

I suspect that’s what’s happening in churches like this. It’s not even a fun game anymore, it’s a clinging need to belong and to define oneself as “a part.”

Terry Caswell Faulkner via Facebook

That is beyond sad. I think this man – and his congregation – needs a prayer sent up right away.

I too find the accents and linguistics endearing… many of the voices I have loved most in the world sound much like him, and thankfully I don’t recall hate speech coming from any of those beautiful mountain folks.

http://www.facebook.com/jason.p.engel Jason Engel via Facebook

Barbara, did you also notice that I “liked” his post? Perhaps I made the context clues a bit too subtle that I both understood his humor and was responding in kind. If I wasn’t clearly kidding, how can you say John was clearly doing so? Don’t you understand that God clearly thinks you are all a bunch of heretics to be burned in hell for all eternity???? ( <– context clues)

http://www.facebook.com/stevohhhh Steve Rose via Facebook

Makes me wish there was a god so this guy could get his just rewards.

BC Erickson via Facebook

is the video playing for you all?

Robert Martin via Facebook

@Barbara….The website you linked comes back w/ “Bandwidth Limit Exceeded The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to the site owner reaching his/her bandwidth limit. Please try again later.” Seems the “good” pastor is either trying to pull the plug on his “church’s” connection with the outside world OR he is recieving such a flow of condemnation that….well…. I leave it at that.

http://www.facebook.com/jason.p.engel Jason Engel via Facebook

Yes, the video still works.

http://www.facebook.com/barbara.rice.334 Barbara Rice via Facebook

Robert, it worked for me just now. I think it’s getting a LOT of hits.

Oop, just saw that Jason clarified his comment above. I need to keep up! ;p

http://www.facebook.com/jason.p.engel Jason Engel via Facebook

I think I got in trouble for the same mistake, Heron. You should pay closer attention to what I write

Carol Colby via Facebook

@Bonny Sexton, Doug Sewell, and Jason Engel: Kathy Carrasco is correct. One condition of 501(c)(3) status is that the organization may not engage in political campaigning for or against a candidate for public office. When a priest or pastor criticizes Obama (or his signature efforts)–by name or description–from the pulpit in an election cycle, the church has crossed the line and should have to pay taxes on income and property. See http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/article/0,,id=163395,00.html

This feeble-minded bigot can exercise his right to free speech all he wants; he just can’t expect to receive those privileges reserved for CHARITABLE organizations under regulatory law if he doesn’t abide by its guidelines but rather acts like a POLITICAL ADVOCACY organization, like the Sierra Club (which is not tax-exempt).

I have reported this video to Project Fair Play, an effort by Americans United for the Separation of Church and State to address such violations. They are “agin” the preaching of politics.

Mark

I was raised a fundamentalist Baptist. I was not surprise to hear this from a fundie minister. Of the all the various Christian clergy, fundies ministers are often the less educated and proud of it.

One would have to be completely ignorant of history to suggest a concentration camp is a good idea.

I can remember a traveling evangelist suggesting that bringing back slavery would solve black unemployment.

Chelsea Lynn Dill via Facebook

Dear sir, I watched your video about putting gays and lesbians inside electric fences. As a fellow Christian, I will not sit here and berate or belittle you. Rather, I hope you know I am praying for you. Praying fervently for your mind to be opened to the sadness of your speech. I pray that you will realize that God and Jesus call for us to love everyone. I think you can admit that starving and killing an entire population of people, is anything but Christ-like. Frankly, it sounds like the Holocaust to me, which is definitely not something God or Jesus would want. I pray that you well someday see the evil of what you are preaching. And I pray that God gives you final judgement.

Chelsea

Tried to send this to him, and the email is down, which I know see reading through comments… Wish I had some other way to get this to him..

Chelsea Lynn Dill via Facebook

Oh, man! Just realized he’s only an hour and a half away from me! When I initially moved to the south from PA, I hated being a liberal Christian in the Bible Belt…Now I truly enjoy it, because I have found joy in advocating and educating. Hm.. A day trip may be needed..

Courtney

FYI: the church office phone number is 828-428-2518

Courtney

You could mail it.

http://www.facebook.com/JohnShoreFans John Shore via Facebook

The point is, I’m funniest. And I think we can all agree that’s what’s most important. AGREE!!

Excellent! Before you mail it, you might consider this one little edit: “Frankly, it sounds like the Holocaust to me, which is definitely not something God or Jesus, being Jewish, would want.”

Gordon

You guys can pray all you want. And God can speak to this cretin all He wants. This man will not hear. He is lost and so are the idiots shouting “Amen” at his rantings. I don’t want to reform or change him. I want to obliterate him. And, what obliterates people like this is lack of attention. My own prayer is that he gets lots of attention for a very little while and then he is ostracized and punished for the scorn he has brought down on himself, his church and his community. You starve a monster like this. You don’t feed it.

Gordon

I would keep trying to sneak over to the girl side. Boys don’t understand me….

I saw this last night on “The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell” on MSNBC. I think it’s being widely seen. That’s both good and bad, I suppose. I always get nervous when expecting people to watch something, think about it and then judge for themselves. The chilling part for me were the hearty “Amens!” coming from his audience.

Courtney

I am envisioning pews full of people humming “We Shall Overcome” while he preaches…

http://www.facebook.com/jason.p.engel Jason Engel via Facebook

Dude, I rarely even agree with God when he tells me to.

Jennifer Grove via Facebook

Steve… Your comment really made me think. Our idea of God is almost totally a projection of our own ideal self. That means that he clearly is a lesser human than so many of us are. And by “lesser”, I don’t mean mean or bad, but simply smaller; much like the meaning in the phrase “Children of a lesser God”. He is so small that he cannot integrate his own love impulses, but must demonize them.

It is right and natural to put this man in the stocks and throw tomatoes at him. That old and lesser way of being must understand that the world is different now and the majority no longer tolerates such intolerance. Greater humans must take the town square and claim moral authority. And at the same time, it is also good to take a moment and see the drama that is unfolding here. Dominance begets dominance. Schadenfreude. And I’m hoping that we can put the brakes on when we have wrung every drop of good that we can get out of it. Punishment has a point of diminishing returns. I hope we can shift to a different mode when the window of opportunity presents itself. <3

Charles Franklin via Facebook

Electric fences…maybe he meant sort of like those Hitler used to imprison homosexuals and Jews?

I would imagine his next sermon will be on how horribly he has been treated by queers and lesbians, how slandered he has been, what a wicked world it is when a man of god like him is attacked so viciously and cruelly. Well, he chose to cut and run, and is now hiding in a hole instead of defending his statements publicly and bravely. What does this say about his so-called “faith” in what he believes in?

Given the vast number of groups that people like Pastor Worsley thinks are evil (LGBTs; the poor; scientists; atheists and people of faiths other than Christianity; women) it would doubtless be cheaper to put them in a glorified Auschwitz.

Melody

AGREED!!

Gordon

Extremists are born with a martyr complex all ready to kick into gear when they get the backlash their hateful words stir up. It’s in their DNA.

n.

at least we know you don’t have an electric fence.

do you?

Gordon

I keep thinking of a 12 year old boy, sitting in a pew between his parents listening to this pastor. His Dad shouts out “Amen” when the pastor, who the kid has known his whole life, talks about rounding up gay and lesbian people and locking them up behind electric fences and keeping them imprisoned until they die. He’s thinking about his “secret” and being ripped away from his parents, his home, his friends, his life…if anyone ever finds out. His pastor says, “Can you imagine wanting to kiss another guy?” And the little boy cringes…because he thinks about it all the time. He wishes he was dead.

We can argue till kingdom comes about love, prayer and redemption for this pastor. But it doesn’t change the fact that what he says is actually extremely destructive and dangerous. Not destructive to Christianity! To GLBT kids!!! It is psychological abuse. It maims, it scars and it kills. Don’t kid yourself about this being at all isolated to some idiot in a rural church in the south. It happens in too many churches every single week. This asshat just got caught.

uman

Am I the only one who thought that if you put straight women behind one fence and straight men behind another fence, that they are *still* gonna “die out” because they “can’t reproduce”? Not that logic has anything to do with his argument, I just think it’s funny to follow it along. Yup, I’m agin it!

Jana Harrison Currier via Facebook

Believe Out Loud is such a great group! I also like The God Article which is based here in NC.

http://www.facebook.com/jason.p.engel Jason Engel via Facebook

I’ve done this before to people I don’t much like, and I am thinking about doing this again: The makers of the Astroglide line of personal lubricants, popularly rumored to be a favorite product of a certain segment of the male population, will send free samples if you sign up on their website. The little devil in me thinks Mr. Worley and his church could use a few of these free samples….

Benny Perdue

yes AND HERES MY PHONE NUMBER TOO.( 803) 385-2822, YOU CALL YOURSELF A “.PREACHER’ you a “LOW LIFE SCUM… you suppose to “PREACH” the word of ..”GOD” like it says on the MONEY YOU AND I BOTH WORK AND SPEND…” ONE NATION UNDER GOD,INDEVISIBLE,andJUSTICE AND FOR ALL” YOU A ….”HIPPOCRIT” you must be the ONE going around gang banging these young boys because if “YOU READ THE PAPER YOU DUM SON OF A BITCH you see that “NOT” …”ONE GAY MALE OR WOMAN IS COMMENTING THIS ADULTRY..your “KIND like the ” 4 EYED BITCH that stuck up for you” you BOTH will NOT ONLY BURN IN HELL BUT “ROTT”!!!!! BASTERD” i wouldnt spit in your face , might even give you a drink of water…go to HELL and bust it wide open!!!!!!!!!! oh,and what would you say if your son or daughter was gay? do they deserve the same thing???? THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK OR ACT LIKE AN IDIOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/johnshore/ John Shore

Um. Well. Okay. But. You know.

Gordon

That is certainly devilish! I love it.

Diana A.

Cool! I love proactive people!

http://Www.unnameablecuriosity.wordpress.com Christine

Would likely be cheaper to build a fence around their own plot of land to keep everyone else out…

http://Www.unnameablecuriosity.wordpress.com Christine

Should have been in reply to the comment below… Not sure what happened.

Chris

Maybe someone should put him behind an electric fence.

Gordon

A great idea though!

http://kellythinkstoomuch.wordpress.com KellyK

That’s my understanding as well. I believe there’s also a limit on how much money they can spend (as a percentage of their total budget) advocating for issues.

http://kellythinkstoomuch.wordpress.com KellyK

Fat =/= gluttony, nor does being fat mean “not taking care of yourself.” There are people of all body sizes at all ranges of health. (And, incidentally, the most proven way to make yourself fat(ter) is to diet for weight loss.) If he gives a hate-filled sermon while demolishing a box of Twinkies and a pizza, sure, accuse him of gluttony and, by extension, hypocrisy, but body size is not behavior.

I really deeply dislike the assumption that his body (and by extension mine) is de facto evidence of sin.

Nicole

*snarffle*

http://facebook paula henderson

The question I want to ask all the rightous who speak in the name of God is—–when was the last time you had coffee with God? Was that in the flesh?

Also, man wrote the bible (supposedly taken directly from God) and I have to wonder how loosely it was translated. Remember Charles Manson read and interpreted the bible (so he said) and look what the bible told him to do. Unless God does visit me, in my home, and I am not totally insane I will continue to respect others ways and opinions.

Mindy

God, Gordon, you are so right. Unfortunately, were you to present that example to those of Worley’s ilk, their responses would likely be along the lines of, “Damn right that lil’ fairy needs to hear God’s TRUTH! Better learn it good, too, boy, so he don’t wind up gettin’ his faggy ass kicked,” rather than, you know, a loving response of any kind. It is the kids that make me ache when I read and hear this BS.

Personally, I think the telling part is not how old marriage equality is in Canada, but how much this is now completely a non-issue. No political party is interested is rolling back rights. It isn’t seriously considered anywhere but the most conservative of religious establishments. Societal acceptance is widespread. Discrimination, where it exists, doesn’t get much of a voice. Doesn’t mean things are perfect, of course, but the change has been swift, dramatic and irreversible.

I’ve already mailed mine in. Let them get a few thousand of those, and they’ll have to do an audit. Wanna bet all Billy Bob’s income there ain’t above board? On top of the violations of the political issues.

http://www.facebook.com/craig.roper.9 Craig Roper via Facebook

As bad as what he has said is… How can we as fellow humans look down upon him? We all have demons in our lives, we all have black eyes in our personal history. We must support the gay community without condemning those who have harmed them.

Wayne Johnson via Facebook

Sorry but i have *never* stood in a pulpit called for execution of millions of people by hanging, starvation, and concentration camps. This guy has been doing so frequently for 40 years.

Wayne Johnson via Facebook

Worley is a psychopath, like many other preachers. I do not look down on psychopaths.

Christelle

I officially donated $$$ to The Trevor Project and The Harvey Milk Foundation (In honor of Harvey M’s BDAY TODAY!) in Worley’s name… From now on, this is how I fight back :o)

Christelle

not my idea, btw… awesome idea posted on thegodarticle.com

Soulmentor

To think that a “christian” minister would voice something so preposterously evil……well, I simply don’t know how to respond. I’m guessing someone at that church got a grip and shut things down……hopefully the pastor along with the comm tech.

Why? Why must we? Walk a mile in my shoes and then we’ll see what you have to say. Soooo not in the mood for straight, sanctimonious scolders today. Or any other day, frankly.

n.

Would it be ok if God visited you at work? Cos i heard that happens to some people.

(good point though)

vj

“something so preposterously evil”

This is actually one of the things that helped persuade me that homosexuality is not necessarily inherently sinful – if the proposed cure is so un-godly, perhaps the supposed problem is not really an issue…. The viciousness of the anti-gay rhetoric spouted by so many supposed “Christians” is SO obviously un-Christlike, it makes me think that the source cannot possibly be the Jesus I know – who DIED for ALL. It strikes me as more likely to be a tactic of the enemy, to drive people away from God

vj

?!

n.

But they got that way partly because of “leaders” leading them to that way of thinking.

It’s not like NC has less sheeple than other states.

I *don’t* mean at all that they are innocent, but this dufus represents a system of “education” that turns people against you.

Like some others pointed out earlier, it’s not like he’s the *only* preacher talking like this from the pulpit with some regularity. He’s just one that got caught on tape.

otter

OK Craig, let’s just sit on our hands while haters carry on making a travesty of Jesus teaching, writing discrimination into our laws, and promoting economic hardship for people they don’t like.

Kids are dying and you say not to condemn the people who berate them…Really? Is that what Jesus would do? Or would he have tossed them out of the temple?

Lymis

No, actually, the web provider did it.

mike moore

Chris, I’m two posts below you, but I guess you missed my comment. I live in Asheville.

1,300,000 people voted for Amendment One, 60% of NC voters.

1,300,000 people feel they – just like Pastor Worley – should have the right to FORCE ME BY LAW to live as a second class citizen, according to their largely religious-based values.

1,300,000 people feel they have the right to MAKE NULL AND VOID MY LEGAL MARRIAGE.

1,300,000 accepted the arguments presented by North Carolina’s mainstream elected legislators – YOU KNOW, THE GUYS WHO PUT AMENDMENT ONE ON THE BALLOT.

1,300,000 voters sided with the vile “Reverend” – and I use that term loosely and grudgingly – Billy Graham, his vile children, the Southern Baptist Convention, the Catholic Church, the Mormon church, and the evangelical community.

Worley may express more extreme views than his counterparts, but when it comes to treating the LGBT community like friends, neighbors, and people who are American citizens, with all the accompanying rights and privileges, he is not so different at all.

PASTOR WORLEY? I KNOW WHERE HE STANDS.

THE PEOPLE WHO SMILE AND SAY “WE’RE NOT BIGOTS, WE LOVE YOU!” AND PRETEND TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS, AND STOP AND PET MY DOG? THEY’RE THE ONES WHO VOTED MY HUSBAND AND I INTO A LEGAL CORAL THAT DENIES OUR RIGHT TO THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.

GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE SAND … PASTOR WORLEY REVEALS THIS STATE’S TRUE FACE AND PERFECTLY REPRESENTS THIS STATE.

mike moore

You should look down on this one.

Soulmentor

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” (Edmund Burke)

I have evangelical type siblings who would not condone this man’s rhetoric and behavior. They would even agree that it is wrong and not christian….. but who would say and do nothing to counter it. I’ve told them repeatedly how that silence makes them complicit in it, how that gives societal permission for it. Worley’s diatribe followed the NC ant-gay marriage constitutional amendment vote. Can anyone doubt that vote outcome gave him permission to spew his rant?

The people of NC can look to him for a clear picture of the fruits of their fear-and- ignorance-produced bigotry, and to themselves for ways to root it out before grows strong enuf to become actually murderous.

Expect precisely that kind of activity to increase in NC. That vote paved the way for open season on homosexuals.

Lymis

Why in the world not?

Melody

Wow, Craig, you’re in denial. Even when I used to think homosexuality was wrong, I never tolerated hate speech like this. I went to a counter-protest of Westboro when they picketed a soldier’s funeral near my hometown. And now that I support gay rights, I believe it’s even more crucial that we expose monsters (yes, monsters) like Worley and work to take them down. I can’t believe you would defend this excuse for a man because “we all have demons.” He’s telling this to a congregation and anyone who will listen. He’s encouraging violence against the gay community. Someone is sure to commit a hate crime after hearing him and taking him seriously. That isn’t just a hateful tirade by just another imperfect sinner. That’s a dangerous threat by a dangerous, evil man. And I, for one, will not take it lying down. As for condemnation, he has made himself ripe for the picking with his unabashed bigotry. You can either keep sticking your head in the sand, or you can stand up for what’s right. I hope you pick the latter.

Melody

Also, for anyone who’s paying attention, this is the sort of idealistic denial that makes me so frustrated when people use the “Judge not” quote as an excuse to look the other way. As long as people say we should go easy on bigots and not call them out, it’s going to get better.

https://www.facebook.com/mike.haas.3914 Mike H

Great post, Mike. Ties the reality up very consisely.

http://richardtgarner.com Rick Garner

This type of talk saddens me and is deplorable. Yet, encouraging the same sort of speech in return isn’t the answer. This man needs prayer. My suspicion is that his personality would thrive off of negative or visceral feedback…thinking that’s exactly how “rebels” would respond.

I think it’s better to either not stoop to their level and respond to them in kindness or love or to simply ignore.

Melody

We can’t just ignore this. (See my comment to Chris.) He doesn’t deserve kindness because he is perpetuating and encouraging violence against the gay community. He is a criminal and needs to be silenced once and for all.

Gordon

Shoot! This was supposed to be a reply to something Craig Roper posted earlier. Bad tablet! Bad! Not only do you not post where I tell you too, you keep taking me to Amazon.com and try to sell me another Kindle! Stop it!

https://www.facebook.com/mike.haas.3914 Mike H

We did similarly. Yours and other related activities have been perhaps, the single-best response to this clown, not to mention those NC’inians who voted for Amendment One.

DR

Tim it’s time to acknowledge these types of men and women for what they actually *are* as well as the people who give their money, this is not a matter of just speech and tone, that’s just the 5% of what is inside of them. This is deeply rooted, vile and vulgar hearts that have given themselves over willingly to delusional evil. They never cared about our opinion incthe first place, nor does he now.

These people don’t change. They just need to be stopped. They need to be outed, shamed and exposed and lose their tax exempt status and when we are able to make this kind of speech illegal, prosecuted.

And frankly, the Nathan’s of the world who pop on the forum who feel so badly about this kind of hung yet at the end of the day are stil totally committed to his church that at its root, is anti-gay? Where is he ?? Where are they?? They all just disappear. So stop the lectures. We are way, way beyond lectures to be kind.

DR

Sorry I meant Rick, not Tim.

https://www.facebook.com/mike.haas.3914 Mike H

Serial killers are psychopaths. You just what, look the other way so as to avoid being, “judgemental”?

DR

Sorry but he actually does represent your state. The majority of people in North Carolina just voted this sentiment in. I don’t mean to be harsh but this is exactly the perception of Norh Carolina. I’m repulsed by this state this morning though certainly respect and support those of you there who are fighting against this kind of thing, that takes a lot of courage.

n.

i know, right?! my android tablet keeps doing that on this site, too. i wish John Shore’s web guy could make it not do that. i think it’s something about how the links are made… somehow on a tablet the side panels overlap with the middle panel or something.

DR

Exactly

Gordon

I have a friend who lives in Eastern North Carolina. She wrote to me and said she was tired of people trashing her state and she didn’t think it was fair. It’s one thing to be embarrassed for your state. I live in Georgia…I know how that feels. It is another thing entirely to feel like people are trashing you unfairly because you “know so many good people who were against this law” and all the other things we’ve read about over the past few weeks. Bottom line is that this abomination passed overwhelmingly and all NC people have to own that.

I was heartened that this awful act at the NC ballot box finally spurred the national board of the NAACP to declare their overwhelming support for marriage equality. (Only two directors voted no out of more than 60.) African American evangelicals have made some really sick alliances with Mormon and Catholic groups to oppose marriage equality all across the country. Hopefully the NAACP can remind them of what would happen if civil rights were put to a popular vote in many states…even today.

vj

It’s very hard to design a website that works equally well on a laptop/desktop AND on a tablet….

Here’s a definition of psychopath I found online: A person with a psychopathic personality, which manifests as amoral and antisocial behavior, lack of ability to love or establish meaningful personal relationships, extreme egocentricity, failure to learn from experience, etc.

I look down on psychopaths, or anyone else for that matter, who are in positions where their pathological behavior presents a clear and present danger. And make no mistake, the words this guy and thousands like him spew from their tax-exempt pulpits every week all across this country are dangerous.

There is something preposterous to me about many of these posts here recommending understanding and tolerance for this man.

n.

now they are saying that Psychopath (and/or Sociopath) is a mental/developmental disability?

there was an article lately about “why do people not pity [whatever]paths’ families but they do pity families of autistics.” um, yeah, as an asperger adult, so much wrong with that question! (“hello, because WE’re not EVIL?!” springs to mind, as does “we don’t need pity and neither do our parents”)…

but, that might be where he’s coming from on this?

i don’t know enough about neurology to answer what one should think of [psycho/socio]paths. i think it must depend on the level of personal responsability… ie: is it a CHOICE, did they allow or cause themselves to get that way? cos what we learned about same sex orientation, if it’s not a choice, how could it be a sin?!

n.

my gut feeling? i would tend to think that it is their choice to be that way, despite my doubt in below comment… but i have to put my doubt, too, because i don’t know the science behind [whatever]pathy.

n.

i know… and there are so many different tablets out there that it might be kind of complex to test it.

i just sometimes wish i had a real computer at home… but then it would be kind of a waste to have a tablet.

Melody

Oops, that should read *not* going to get better.

Melody

Not Chris. Craig Roeper.

https://www.facebook.com/mike.haas.3914 Mike H

Yup – figured we’d be hearing from his congregation soon

“He had every right to say what he said about putting them in a pen and giving them food,” Sims explained. “The Bible says they are worthy of death. He is preaching God’s word.”

Church member Stacey Pritchard agreed that Worley was just speaking the truth.

“Sometimes you’ve got to be scared straight,” she said. “He is trying to save those people from Hell.””

Wow, I know (knew) alot of pastor’s/ church leaders who perfectly fit that definition. I worked in a seminary several years ago in which it was mandatory for every student to take personality profile tests (MMPI)… if there was an area that raised alarm, suggestions were made such as counseling, therapy, etc. If I remember correctly, extreme cases resulted in the boot out of the program… First, I think every person that wears the title “Pastor/Rev/Bishop/etc” should go to seminary. Second, every seminary should administer personality profile tests to their students. Third, every seminary should include manditory counseling classes from the psychology department which would earn them an actual counseling degree along with their MDIV or Theology degree (I don’t believe in ‘pastoral’ counseling’ – it’s not professional/ way too subjective)… I could go on…Just my two cents for now.

Y’know…If spewing hatred, religious intolerance and polluting the environment for profit are your most cherished “freedoms”, why not just pool all your money together and create your own goddamn country?

Christelle

btw, I say ‘seminary’ should be a requirement because too many pastors simply go to their denominational Bible college where they learn info that has been regurgitated for generations… thus passing along a continuous line of poison to be taught from the pulpit… I guess if I was in charge, I would also create a criteria for emotionally ‘healthy seminaries’. But, I’m not… so there you have it

Christelle

Hitler and just about every other tyrant throughout history used scripture as their basis as well… but, I believe we’ve already discussed that point.

Christelle

Although I’ve known that racism and bigotry still exist – up until recently (being from Cali and I guess slightly sheltered from the extremes) I really thought our country was overcoming… These people need a deprogramming…

mike moore

@Rick Garner … I wish the world worked in a way that your advice could be taken.

These people reject our love and kindness. I can promise you the LGBT community did not draw first blood here nor are we suggesting he be lynched and his church burnt to the ground, though I would shed no tears were that to happen.

However, we cannot ignore him. I know this is overly dramatic, but I have to compare this Jews in Germany prior to and during WWII.

I don’t expect such a Nazi-esque scenario to happen here in the USA in the 21st C.

But … neither can I “ignore” people like Worley, the Catholic Church, the Mormons, and the evangelical community while they strip my civil rights away, as was done here in NC two weeks ago.

And frankly, for you to even suggest that I ignore the fact people like Worley have, once again, and as has happened in so many states, invalidated my marriage by a popular vote … well, what you’re suggesting is, frankly, downright offensive.

that was supposed to be SC, in fact my family moved here for that reason. (*_*)

n.

some churches have no requirements whatsoever.

n.

yeah it’s like the ppl who say “ignore the bullies and they will go away”, sure they will. after they beat the crap out of you.

n.

and it’s not like they won’t be back later… and/or replaced by more bullies. so ignoring them is false advice.

Christelle

sigh… yeah, I know…

http://richardtgarner.com Rick Garner

And go after someone with burning torches and pitch forks – rather literally or with words – is Christ-like? Responding to hate with hate is not productive. It’s often overall emotional and irrational. It feels good but accomplishes little.

Melody

You actually think we’re condoning outright violence against him? Of course not. We’re protesting his vicious behavior, and a peaceful protest has been arranged for this Sunday.

Diana A.

I recommend Martha Stout’s book “The Sociopath Next Door.” I found it quite revealing.

I don’t believe that sociopathy is a choice, but that doesn’t mean that sociopaths don’t bear watching. Sociopaths are a danger to society (even the ones who are not physically violent tend to cause problems to other people wherever they go.)

What have you heard here that constitutes “stooping to their level?” I haven’t seen anyone calling for him to be rounded up and imprisoned in the hopes that he’ll die from it.

Calling out someone’s hateful actions is hardly the same as condemning innocent people who didn’t do anything to him in the first place. Anyone who does advocate violence or imprisonment for him is wrong. I don’t see much of that. Who’s even encouraging it?

Susan

I have to beg to differ, I do think that history can repeat itself by allowing persecutions against races, Homosexuals, etc… because if you step foot into a history class now days it’s not taught about WW II and German and Hitler.

These kinds of people should never be ignored, they should be put on every news channel in the states, to show their hatred, their bigotry, their self-loathing.

This ‘preacher’ must hate a lot of people to preach such hate from the pulpit, either that, or he is hiding a secret life , such as the likes we aren’t likely to see.

What a sad commentary, and what a sad existance this so called preacher must live.

mike moore

Rick, this is one where I wish we were in a jovial bar over cocktails. I’m going to sound way more heavy-handed – and hateful – than I want to, but I’ve got to put it out there:

Have you been attacked on the street? I have. Have you had someone, quite literally, try to murder you? I have.

And I learned something, which should, perhaps, be dismaying to me, but isn’t.

I am not Christ-like. I am not Ghandi or Martin. I am not non-violent. What I am is 6′ and 230lbs, (and no, it’s not all muscle… when did my abs become so reclusive?) and what I have is the ability to stop violence in its tracks, with my fist.

I learned that when someone gets a big-time smack-down, literally or figuratively, they stop attacking you and trying to kill you.

Politically, I’ve learned that when you shut down the Golden Gate Bridge during morning rush hour, or chain yourself together in the office of the FDA, or throw burning trash cans through the glass doors of a Federal Building … everyone will tell you how counterproductive you’re being … but then, like magic, AIDS research funding happens and sodomy laws go away.

I learned that when you shave, and put on a suit and tie, and find yourself looking directly and unflinchingly into the eyes of certain US Senators, Congressman, and former Presidents, while shaking their hands … with piercing (hateful?) dislike clearly written on your face … and tell them their actions are despicable and hurting real people … they get very nervous. They’re so insulated, they forget they actions are real. And then they get the message. And then, sometimes, when they’re on Meet the Press or Stephanopoulos, they’re not quite so hard-line. They’ve become a little more human. They have a little more empathy they had the week before.

Is all of that meeting hate with hate? Yeah, on my bad days, I suppose it is. But so far, it’s accomplished a lot.

DR

Are you actually suggesting that anger is inappropriate in this situation? Anger is an activating agent. It moves people to action. It wakes people up, as a matter of fact sometimes it’s the only thing that wakes us up.

DR

The more I think about your response, the angrier I get. This is the kind of conditioning those of us who are Christian have completely bought into – that somehow it is more Christlike to *ignore* this kind of behavior instead of getting angry about it and allowing that anger to move us to action, to repair and to prevention.

*This* is what is the most dangerous thing in Christianity right now, it’s those of us who are reasonable and educated and have allowed ourselves to be lulled into passivity because we don’t understand the difference between being angry and being mean.

Gordon

Amen!

Anne

I sent Pr. Worley a nice little notecard, in a pink envelope. I thanked him for his hate-filled, ignorant, illogical sermon because it galvanized me into action (actually, further action but who’s counting?)

I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to when he reads that part of my tithe will now support pro-LGBT organizations.

Bob

Has it occurred to anyone that this type of behavior is often found in gay men in denial? Chuck was probably whacked by his parents every time he showed physical affection to other little boys, and had hateful garbage like this taught to him his entire life!

Krista Macdonald

His email address is no longer valid. But here is my

Message to him:

Jesus was a beautiful, wonderful and kind man that loved everyone unconditionally. You are a disgusting man that should be banned from preaching hate and filth. The sin of hatred leads to hell. Have a nice trip and when you get there enjoy looking up and watching all the “homosexuals” dancing with Peter through the pearly gates!

Krista MacDonald

Sent from my iPhone.

mitch wagoner

Once again, it’s not looking good for North Carolina. Love this state but it’s hard to except the stupid people that live here.

First of all, where’s he coming from that if you put all gay’s behind a fence they are gone??? Gay’s are not born from gay people…. Hello!!!! They come from Hetersexual folks if I remember correctedly…. So, put gays behind a fence but there will be more , and they will come up and bite you in the ass again. I know, I would… I’m a homo..

But, I don’t hate him, just wish they would take the tax exempt status away, as they should with all churches that decided they want go into politics…

Melody

I know what you mean. I feel the same way about the state of Texas. Love my state; the politics and majority discrimination against gay people, not so much. And I’m with you on the tax thing. They totally deserve to lose their status.

Allie

Have you ever bothered to read the words of Christ? He wasn’t shy about using strong language when the situation called for it, and he took out after some people with a cat-o-nine tails once.

Gordon

Well said, Mike. Were you involved with Act Up? I lived in San Francisco from 1986-2004. I remember the gay community wringing its hands and clucking about Act Up actually doing more harm than good…until things started to change. And Act Up played a huge part in stimulating debate and bringing about that change.

n.

[APPLAUSE]

n.

not countering hate with hate. countering hate with action? i guess. others have said it better by now.

n.

i know, i was possibly raised by one. and a friend had one parent who was an actual psychopath. so, yeah. been there, heard that.

mike moore

I’d bet we knew each! I had a home in SF between 84-’02 and was involved in activism on several levels … Act-Up, Queer Nation, DIFFA, HRC, Project Open Hand (my husband helped finance Ruth Brinker’s first big commercial kitchen, one of the things we’re most proud of in our lives.) We were also registered Republicans (the folly of youth and family ties, don’t hate us … but we were never Log Cabin) and created lots of havoc inside the party until we finally threw in the towel and went Indie. I was an interior and furniture designer and had “mike furniture” on Fillmore Street.

Gordon

I am actually sitting on my Mike Furniture sofa as I write this! What a small world. I asked my husband Reed if he knew a Mike Moore from San Francisco and he said, “Yes! He owned the store where we bought our living room furniture.” I didn’t know you were such a bad-ass activist! I love my furniture even more now!

xoxo

mike moore

how brilliant, I love this small little planet!

and, oh yeah, big trouble-makers … NY Times reported on boycott of my company by Southern Baptist Convention, saying, “those in a mike ad are no less naked than those in an Armani or Calvin Klein campaign. The difference is a refreshing shift from pouts and disinterest. mike’s models appear to enjoy having sex …” I was like a proud Dad that day! Good to know my furniture is standing up to the test of time! say “hey” to my old town.

Gordon

Sorry…I left in 2004. I left my heart there, though. We’ll go back someday…as soon as we can get this Atlanta noose off of our necks.

Meh, I’m a poor student, so I guess if I could hook up my netbook to the electric fence, a wifi connection, plenty of gay ladies and free food, I already have a better prospect than that offered by the job market.

It would also provide me with lots of time -well, minus the womanizing- to learn how to hack his ass.

n.

I only wish the fences were that kind of electric.

Although hacking anything is an interesting (in a good way) response to oppression.

Wasn’t aware that lesbians “womanize” each other. somehow i thought it would have a different name, although i have no idea why it should… LOL

n.

Sorry that was missing a preposition. Womanize *with* each other?

Translator

My grandad was an electrician specialized in high-voltage, so I guess I should revise what he taught me ;).

I guess it is “womanizing with each other”. I don’t even know if it is said “officially” for lesbians, but oh well, I guess we could always start a new convention xd.

Nice comment!

Diana A.

I’m sorry to hear that. No fun at all for either one of you.

vj

“move us to action, to repair and to prevention”

Especially since the Bible REPEATEDLY tells the followers of God to defend the cause of the weak (aliens, widows, orphans, poor) – which cannot be achieved just by thinking nice thoughts, but must be actively pursued and worked for.

http://netzero Sallie

A criminal offence in the UK is the homophobes who brutaly crippled my brothers life long partner , then tried to cut my brothers ear off.[75 stitches]He was the lucky one, his partner was hospitalized for 6 months.

put certain people behind a fence to have them “removed”? i am from austria, some 75 years ago, a small man named adolf with a rediculous mustache, rather over the top hand gestures and a loud voice was born here. he had similar ideas. someone send pastor worley over here it would be my pleasure to to show him the remains of what talk like this can lead to …